


Brotherly Love

by zebraljb



Category: Backstreet Boys, NSYNC
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, M/M, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-10
Updated: 2012-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-29 08:28:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 29,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/317810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zany hijinks in a gay frat.  Not really...but it is a gay frat story. Lance is uptight and proper, Justin's a jock, Nick is adorable, JC is precious, and Chris is a professor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I remember coming up with this great gay frat idea...and then it floundered along the way. This is probably my favorite JC that I've ever written, and I broke myself writing his Halloween costume.
> 
> This was written around 2003-2004.

BROTHERLY LOVE  
One

 

“Why did I EVER agree to be a part of this?” Lance Bass groaned as he looked at the list of names. “This is insane.”

“You said you’d do it,” his friend JC reminded him. “You promised last year that you’d be on the pledge committee this year. You said everything they did last year was lame, and you were tired of it.”

“I hate that you have such a good memory,” Lance snapped. He poked his glasses up on his nose and sighed. “I changed my mind.”

“Too late.” JC grabbed the piece of paper and leaned back in his chair. They were seated in one of the university’s dining halls. They weren’t eating, just drinking coffee and using the space.

“What’s that?” A hand reached over JC’s shoulder and grabbed the paper.

“Joey! Give that back!” Lance almost whined. “It’s private!”

“This your list of lays, Lance?” Joey teased, scanning the list. “It’s easier to put notches in your bedpost.”

“Shut up, Joey.” Lance swiped at the paper but missed.

“Joe…” JC said, shaking his head. Joey sighed and handed JC the paper.

“You gay boys are such drama queens,” Joey said. He ruffled Lance’s short hair and pulled a chair up, sitting on it backwards. “So, what’s that list REALLY?”

“Pledges,” Lance sighed.

“Our boy here is on the committee,” JC said proudly. “He gets to help pick the things the boys have to do to join the frat.”

“I have a feeling it’s not the kind of stuff I had to do to join MY frat,” Joey said. He watched Lance carefully and was rewarded by exactly the reaction he had hoped for.

“Joey, just because it’s a gay fraternity doesn’t mean…”

“Joey, quit picking on him,” JC said, sighing. “He’s not in the best of moods.”

“I was just playing,” Joey said by way of apology. “I know that you guys aren’t some big orgy house. I know the rules.”

“And number one rule is NO sex with a brother,” Lance said.

“Which is why you haven’t gotten laid in HOW long?” Joey asked.

“My sex life is NONE of your business,” Lance said primly.

“Sounds like you’re not GETTING any business.” It was JC’s turn to gently tease Lance. “Anyway, Lancey, you’re right. The whole pledge thing is getting old. I remember how it was when I was pledging…some of the stuff was just DUMB.”

“Ages and eons ago, when JC Chasez was a lowly little freshman,” Joey said poetically.

“It wasn’t THAT long ago, Fatone. I’m only in my second year of grad school,” JC snapped.

“And he’s only a year older than you, anyway,” Lance reminded Joey. “Although, if someone hadn’t flunked a year, he’d be graduated anyway.”

“I didn’t flunk and you know it. Mono knocked the hell outta my sophomore year,” Joey said. “Being out all that time.”

“Serves ya right, getting the kissing disease,” JC said.

“You just wish you were kissing me, Chasez,” Joey retorted.

“Nah, you’re not my type.”

“Too ugly?” Lance asked.

“Too straight.” JC stood. “I gotta fly. I haven’t met my music psychology professor yet, and that’s my next class.” JC rolled his eyes.

“I thought you loved all your classes,” Joey said.

“I DO…but this just seems like a waste of time. I know how music affects me, and I know it affects others the same way. Why in the world do I need to study it for an entire semester?”

“Isn’t it an elective?” Lance asked.

“Yes, but it was either this or Music of the Renaissance.” JC made a gagging motion and picked up his backpack. Joey poked at the rainbow letters on the back.

“You’re still a little Gay Frat Boy at heart, aren’t ya?”

“You’re just jealous. Speaking of the frat, though…” JC turned to Lance. “If you need any help this year, as an alum and all…I’ll help you.”

“Thanks, JC. I just have to figure out a fun theme for our first party. This list is from that sign up sheet we had out, but I doubt they’ll all come. I need something that will entertain ten people or thirty people.” Lance sighed and rubbed at his forehead.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” JC embarrassed Lance by giving him a smacking kiss on the forehead before wandering off to his class.

 

JC drummed his fingers on the top of his desk, staring at the clock. The new professor was already ten minutes late, and JC was about to get up and leave. He needed to work on the composition he was preparing for his graduate thesis, and he didn’t need to be wasting time sitting and waiting. No one knew much about this new professor, except that his name was Kirkpatrick, and that he was fairly young.

“Hey, kids and kittens.” A man breezed in the door, closing it behind him. “Sorry I’m late. I actually was trying to find a space to park.”

“You didn’t look in the faculty lot?” A student in the front asked.

“Nah. You guys have to hike it from hell and back to get around this campus…why shouldn’t I?” The man put his briefcase down on his desk and smiled. “So…hi.” A few students laughed, a few said hello. “The name is Christopher Kirkpatrick, and believe it or not, I used to attend this hellhole. Didn’t graduate from it, but I attended. The music program here holds a fond place in my heart, so here I am.” He sat down on top of the desk and swung his short legs. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair, tugged on his goatee, and grinned. “I love music. I love psychology. Ergo, here we are. I hope to help you all learn how music and psychology work together. I also hope to give you a good time in the process. Any questions?” No one answered. “You can call me Chris, or Mr. Kirkpatrick…whatever makes you comfortable. Okay, let’s call roll.” The professor started down his class list. “Joshua…”

“Chasez,” JC said in a quiet voice.

“Huh?” Chris looked up. “I heard SOMETHING…”

“Chasez,” JC pronounced a little louder.

“Chasez, you a vocal music major?” JC nodded. “I hope you sing louder than you talk.” JC blushed and looked down. “But thank you for the pronunciation.”

“And it’s JC…not Joshua,” JC said louder.

“Got it.” The teacher winked and smiled. To JC’s horror, he felt a blush again creep across his face. He looked down at his fingernails, trying to blend into his chair.


	2. Chapter 2

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Two

 

“WHY did I volunteer for this?” A pencil flew, and Lance caught it with a weary sigh.

“Because, like me, you felt that the past few years of pledging have been bullshit,” Lance replied. “I feel the same way you do, Aje.”

“I could be doing something MUCH more important,” AJ McLean said with a sigh, pushing up his sunglasses.

“Then go do it,” another member of their committee said. “I’m sick of your bitching.”

“And I’m sick of your poor fashion sense, Rick, but you see my ass still sitting in this chair, don’t you?” AJ snapped.

“We appreciate your patience with his fashion sense, AJ, and Rick, we appreciate your patience with AJ in general,” Lance said quickly. “Look…we just need to brainstorm. Why don’t we break for now, and come back later with some ideas for some neat challenges. The same old shit is boring. No more treasure hunts or anything like that. Something where they need to put themselves on the line…not physically or legally…just their pride. Nothing that will hurt them.”

“Fine,” Rick mumbled, and the two other men followed suit. They got up from the ground and left.

“I shouldn’t even be here.” AJ lay on his back and stared up at a tree. They were sitting on the grass in one of the courtyards.

“Why? You skipping class or something?” Lance asked, organizing his notes. “I myself am going to be late for my first Statistics class of the year.”

“Nah…I have free time now. I mean…I’m bi. Why am I even IN a gay frat?” AJ asked.

“You know why. Because you feel comfortable with us,” Lance said. They had had this conversation a dozen times. AJ was a year older than Lance, but they were in the same year of college.

“Maybe it’s because I have the hots for you, Lance.” AJ rolled over and winked at Lance.

“AJ, as I’ve told you many times, you are SO not my type.” Yet another conversation they had had many times, though it was always in jest.

“What IS your type, Blondie?” AJ asked. “I wanna know. I can change!”

“Hardly,” Lance snorted. He stood and was almost toppled over by another person. “Hey!”

“Sorry, Lance,” JC panted. “I had to talk to you. I just made a total ASS of myself in my psychology class!”

“Do you have that new professor?” AJ asked with interest. “I met him yesterday. He’s cute.”

“A cute new professor?” Lance asked, smiling.

“No!” JC said quickly. He glared at AJ. “Why were you even IN the psych building?”

“I have to make up the psychology class I failed last year, remember? The one I never went to because I refused to get up for an eight-thirty class? Kirkpatrick’s the professor.”

“Well, that IS him, but I didn’t notice if he was cute,” JC retorted.

“Then why did you make an ass of yourself?” Lance asked.

“Shut up, Lance!” JC yelled.

“You’re making NO sense,” AJ observed.

“All I know is I cannot go back there after acting like I did today.”

“Tomorrow is another day, Jayce,” Lance said soothingly. “You’ll wow him with your witty brain tomorrow.”

“That will never happen,” AJ said, and JC pretended to step on him.

 

The afternoon seemed to breeze by for Lance. He had two classes, and he knew he’d like them both. He slowly walked to where he had locked his bicycle, dreading the meeting that night Anyone who had signed the sheet showing interest in pledging the fraternity would be showing up for a casual barbeque. Somehow HE had become the leader of the committee, and he’d have to sound like he knew what he was talking about. Add to that the fact that he really didn’t enjoy speaking in front of people, and the evening had turned into the Night From Hell.

The grill was already sizzling when he reached the large fraternity house. From the outside, it looked like any other frat house, but inside was a different story. The main “living room” was decorated with class and style, but the rest of the house looked as if a painter had gone insane. Wild colors covered the walls, and the bedrooms were every sort of theme and style. Lance had his own room, which he had decorated very conservatively. Because of a problem with his heart, he had played up the fact that he needed a lot of rest, and therefore he did not have a roommate. They had five spaces to fill this year, and he did NOT want one of them in his room.

By the time he got upstairs and showered and changed, people were milling around in the backyard. Lance looked out his window and saw AJ holding court under a tree. A few of the more unique guests were hanging on his every word. Lance smiled as he straightened the color on his polo shirt. AJ had charisma, he had to give him that.

“Hey, Lance!” JC called as Lance came down the main staircase.

“Jayce! What are you doing here?” Lance said in surprise.

“I wanted to be here for moral support. Besides, as an alum, aren’t I welcome any time?” JC asked, sipping at his beer.

“You know I love when you come hang out,” Lance said. He gave JC a hug. “I hate this already.”

“You’ll do great. You’re such a nice guy, you’ll be a GREAT big brother,” JC said affectionately.

“Not as good as you,” Lance said loyally, and JC rolled his eyes.

“We sound like a bunch of girls. C’mon. I’m hungry.”

JC led the way back to the large yard behind the house. About thirty men had showed up, and Lance walked around, reading nametags and saying hello. As he and JC got their burgers from the grill, there was a small commotion at the gate of the yard.

“C’mon, man! Our names are on the paper!” A tall blond was saying. “We signed up!”

“Signed up to kick our asses?” A frat member snapped. “Not quite. We know better.”

“He’s serious,” another tall boy said. His hair was dirty blond and curly, and his eyes darted around the yard. “Find the list. Our names are on it!”

“What’s going on?” AJ wandered over, smiling slyly. “Fight?”

“No.” The frat member turned to AJ. “These two say they’re here to pledge.”

“What’s wrong with that?” AJ smiled pleasantly at the blond. “Hi, there.”

The blond blushed but didn’t speak. “AJ…” The frat member pulled AJ aside. “They’re members of the basketball team. They AREN’T gay!”

“Who says we’re not?” The boy with curly hair countered. “Look…if we were looking to kick your asses, we’d have brought the whole damn team, not just two people, and we wouldn’t do it in broad daylight.”

Lance walked over, a sinking feeling in his heart. “What are your names?”

“Nick Carter and Justin Timberlake.”

“They’re on my list. First ones, actually,” Lance admitted.

“And you’re gay?” The frat member said suspiciously.

“Wanna see the rainbow on my driver’s license?” The curly-haired boy snapped.

“Of course not. Come in,” AJ said, opening the gate. “You’re more than welcome. We have to be careful.”

“Understood,” the curly-haired boy said. “I’m Justin. This is Nick.”

“I’m AJ. That’s John.” AJ pointed to the angry frat member. “And this is Lance. Lance?” AJ looked over his shoulder, but Lance had disappeared into the house.

Lance stood in the kitchen, heart pounding. He grabbed at the counter to steady himself, closing his eyes. “Lance?” JC put a hand on his shoulder. He had watched Lance suddenly dart into the house, and he had followed him. “What’s wrong? Is it your heart?”

“No,” Lance said weakly. “It’s just…those two guys. I have a bad feeling about them.”

“They seem fine, Lance. That Justin kid is in one of the classes I’m a TA for. He seems pretty cool, and into the arts. One little hint that he’s gay,” JC teased.

“I…I can’t go back out there.” Lance opened his eyes. “And I don’t think they should be in the frat.”

“Lance!” JC said, shocked. “You’re the most open-minded person I know. Why are you acting like this?”

“Never mind,” Lance said. He took a deep breath. “I need a drink. Let’s go.”


	3. Chapter 3

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Three

 

Lance woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and a new determination to come up with the most challenging and creative ideas for the pledges that the frat had ever seen. He drank three cups of coffee before leaving the house, and barely made it to his first accounting class on time.

“Whoa, you look like hell,” AJ observed as they passed each other on campus later that morning. Lance said nothing, simply grabbing AJ’s sunglasses and plastering them on his own face before passing by him. “Only because you’re hung over will I not kick your ass!” AJ called after him, chuckling.

“Mind telling me what happened last night?” Lance’s biology partner asked. Lance had already taken his science credit, but he liked science, so he used it as another elective. His partner, a journalism major named Micah, knew that Lance was gay and had no problem with it. “You look like hell.”

“That seems to be the consensus lately,” Lance said, removing AJ’s glasses. “I had a rough night.”

“Ah, wild orgy night at the old frat house?” Micah teased. Lance glared, then winced.

“Something like that. I got a little upset, and when I get upset I drink, and I can’t hold my liquor, so, there ya go.” Lance pulled out his notebook.

“You okay?” Micah asked.

“I will be.” Lance clicked the top of his pen and looked towards the professor.

 

“I have some ideas.” Lance shoved a paper at AJ and the other members of the committee.

“These are good,” AJ said, reading them over. “You really think these guys will do all these?”

“If they want to be in our frat, they will,” Lance replied.

“You do remember that everything we ask of them, WE have to do?” Rick said.

“Not ALL of us. We can divide things up…I know AJ will do number one, and you can…” Lance began.

“No, AJ is not doing number one. Not alone,” AJ interrupted. “You do it with me.”

“Aje,” Lance whined.

“No. Get JC in on it, too. He’s still a student.”

“Fine,” Lance snapped. He stood. “We agree on this list, then? If no one has anything else, that is.” Everyone nodded. “Cool. I have to study.” Lance picked up his notebook and headed for his room.

“Wanna tell me what happened last night?” AJ said, hot on his heels.

“I have to study,” Lance repeated.

“Why did you get shitfaced?”

“AJ…”

“Lansten…” AJ said, leaning in Lance’s doorway with a smile.

“I’d rather not say. Let me just say that I don’t think a few of our pledges will make it through, that’s all.”

“I hope not. That Nick was a hottie…and I’d like to initiate him myself.” AJ gave Lance a wicked grin. Lance rolled his eyes and went into his room, closing the door.

 

“You’re kidding. The talent show?” JC asked Lance. “You volunteered me?”

“Actually, AJ did,” Lance said, smiling pleasantly. “I would never do that to you.”

“No, but you’d do it to your pledges,” JC said. He sipped at his coffee and stared across the dining hall, not really seeing anything. “The talent show.”

“What are you two doing to your pledges?” Joey asked, plopping down. “Anything nasty?”

“Yes. VERY nasty. One of their challenges is the talent show. They ALL have to participate.”

“And you were going to bust on the talent show?” Joey said, raising an eyebrow.

“Now, Joe, we know that you work with it every year,” Lance began.

“Don’t sweet talk me, Bass,” Joey snapped. “You think the talent show sucks?”

“Not the show, per se, just the talent,” JC said.

“Yeah. You really pick some losers, Joe,” Lance said.

“I don’t pick anyone. That’s all we get,” Joey grumbled.

“Well, this year there will be comic relief, if nothing else,” Lance said.

“And since brothers must participate in the challenges, Lance is going to be in it, and has volunteered ME to be in it with him.” JC smacked Lance on the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“I’ll make sure and let Kirkpatrick know,” Joey said. “We can always use some REAL talent.”

“Wait a minute. Who?” JC almost spit out his coffee and Lance began to laugh.

“Chris Kirkpatrick. He’s a psych professor, I think. He’s helping to kinda run things. Guess he’s into music.”

“Yes, he is,” Lance said, totally amused. “He teaches music psychology, right, JC?”

“I can’t perform in front of him,” JC moaned.

“You could perform ON him,” Lance and Joey said together.

“You two are sick puppies.” JC got up and stalked off.

 

“The talent show?” Nick Carter’s voice rose about an octave. “We have to perform in the talent show?”

“Does that idea make you want to stop pledging?” AJ couldn’t keep the hope from his voice.

“No,” Nick said immediately. “It’s just…we’re so busy…with the team and all.”

“We wouldn’t want to interfere with the basketball team, now, would we?” Lance said sarcastically. AJ stared at him.

“Is there a PROBLEM with the fact that we’re on the team?” Justin Timberlake said. “I mean, I thought we cleared this all up.”

“We did,” another brother said quickly. “Everyone’s welcome.”

Lance looked at the ten young men who had decided after the party to become official pledges of the fraternity. “We wanted to broaden your horizons in every way possible. I know that some people see homosexual men as stereotypically artistic, and it’s not true. As long as you do your best, that’s all we want.”

“What happened to good old fashioned pledge challenges, like panty raids or something,” Justin said with a grin. “I could get me some panties quick.”

“You could get panties by going upstairs to a few of the bedrooms,” a brother said, and everyone laughed. “Sorry, Justin.”

“Out of curiosity, I have a question,” Lance said suddenly. “How many of you are bisexual?” Justin, Nick and two other men raised their hands. “Of course. Okay. Thanks.”

“Do you care WHAT we do in the talent show?” Nick asked.

“We’d prefer it to be rated PG at the most,” AJ said. “Unfortunately.”

“No, we don’t care,” Lance said. “You can drink milk and squirt it out your eyes, or smash beer cans on your forehead or something.”

“Um, okay.” Nick looked confused.

“Never mind.” Lance looked down.

“I see a wide variety of majors here.” Rick scanned down the list in front of him. “Some, of course, are more work than others. If ANYTHING we ask you to do is going to seriously interfere with your class work, let us know. We’re not trying to get anyone kicked out here.”

“We just don’t want to let everyone in,” Lance mumbled, staring at Justin and Nick. AJ elbowed him. “Okay, I have a lab to work on. Anything else?”

“Are YOU doing any of these challenges?” Justin asked. Lance glared at him.

“As we stated earlier, one or more of the brothers will be participating in everything on that list. It’s only fair.”

“I asked about YOU.”

“I’ll be in the talent show, if it’s any of your business.” Lance gave him a saccharine smile. “Are you planning on talking to ALL of your brothers with this lack of respect?”

“I give what I get,” Justin replied.

“Okay, meeting’s over.” AJ shoved Lance out of the room before he could say anything else. “Lance, you’re being a dickhead.”

“Sorry. He rubs me the wrong way. His kind don’t belong here,” Lance said.

“Lance!”

“Don’t ask, Aje.” Lance went up to his room.


	4. Chapter 4

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Four

 

Lance groaned as the zipper of his backpack suddenly slid open, discarding the contents of the bag all over the sidewalk. “Dammit,” he muttered, bending down. He knew it was his own fault for not making sure the bag was closed, but he was in a hurry. Now he’d definitely be late for class.

“Let me help you.” A tall figure bent down next to him, and Lance recognized the blond head of one of the pledges, Nick Carter.

“I’m fine,” Lance snapped, though he had nothing really against Nick. Justin Timberlake, on the other hand…

“Just wanted to help,” Nick mumbled shyly. He handed Lance his calculator and palm pilot. “You’re a math major?”

“Accounting,” Lance said.

“Of course,” Nick said, nodding.

“What does that mean?” Lance said, insulted.

“Well, you have a lot of math books in your bag, first of all. Secondly…you look the type. Preppy clothes, the hair, the glasses,” Nick said. He smiled. “I suck at math.”

“What’s YOUR major?”

“Nutrition. Kinda like a trainer slash nutritionist thing. Justin’s a physical therapy major…that’s how we know each other, besides the team. We have some classes together.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.” Lance took his things from Nick and hurried on to class.

 

The morning did not improve for Lance. He WAS late for his class, and since they were working in small groups, he got stuck with the people that no one else wanted to work with. He hoped that things would get better after he grabbed some lunch.

He entered the cafeteria closest to the math buildings and looked around. JC had the afternoon free, and would normally meet Lance in the cafeteria. He heard a high-pitched giggle and sighed, smiling. JC was definitely the poster child for adorable gay men. He followed the giggle, then frowned. JC was at a table in the corner, along with Joey and Justin Timberlake. Justin was telling a story and seemed to have JC and Joey in stitches.

“Hey, Scoop, how’s it going?” Joey said. “Pull up a chair.”

“I’m not staying,” Lance said, ignoring the growling in his stomach.

“Oh, sit your ass down.” Joey shoved Lance into an empty chair.

“Scoop?” Justin asked.

“Old nickname,” JC told him. “Lance actually thought he could be a journalist, once.”

“What happened?” Justin asked.

“The guy who was running the school newspaper dumped him,” Joey said.

“Joey, shut up.” Lance looked at Justin. “Pick out your song yet?”

“Yes, in fact, I have. JC was helping me.” Justin stood. “I have to get over to the gym. Early practice today. Thanks, JC and Joey. Bye, Lance.” Justin strode off, Lance’s eyes boring holes in his back.

“Why don’t you like him?” JC asked.

“I never said I didn’t LIKE him,” Lance said.

“You don’t have to.”

“Maybe Lance LIKES him likes him,” Joey said. “Maybe Lance has a crush.”

“Maybe Joey needs to just fuck off,” Lance growled.

“Whoa, Lance, cool it,” Joey said. “Don’t make me kick your little rainbow ass.”

“Hey, JC.” A voice from behind JC’s chair made them all turn around. JC’s thin cheeks turned pink.

“Uh, hi, Professor Kirkpatrick.”

“Call me Chris,” the teacher said. “Hey, Joey.”

“Hey, Chris. This is our friend, Lance Bass. He’ll be in the show as well,” Joey said.

“Lance, hey. One of JC’s frat brothers?” Lance nodded. “Good to meet you.” Chris shook Lance’s hand. “JC, you weren’t in class today.”

“I, uh, didn’t think you’d notice,” JC mumbled. “I was, uh, busy.”

“I notice all my students. I hope you’re not busy next class.”

“No, I won’t be,” JC said.

“Good.” Chris beamed at JC. “I missed having you there. See you guys at the talent show meeting tomorrow.” Chris headed for the food line.

“You SO have it bad for him,” Lance said, laughing. “You’re so damn cute, JC.”

“I don’t have it bad for anyone,” JC retorted. “Besides, he’s a teacher!”

“A teacher who “missed having you” in class, Jayce. And it’s not like you’re underage or something. You’re both legal,” Joey pointed out.

“And he’s straight. It’s obvious.” JC stood up. “I gotta go.”

“You could buy an apple for the teacher,” Lance suggested. He and Joey laughed. JC gave them the finger and walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Five

 

“Okay, guys, let’s get down to business.” The tall redhead sat down, popping open the tab on his can of beer. “Miss me?”

“Hardly, Matt,” one of the more feminine brothers said, giggling. “We used your bed while you were gone.”

“I hope not. I don’t want whatever disease you’re spreading this week,” the fraternity president teased. Matthew was in charge of everything regarding the frat, but he had started school late because of a death in his family. He had talked to Lance and some of the other brothers on the phone before his return to the school, and he was pleased to see everything running smoothly.

“Sorry to hear about your loss, man,” AJ said, and others nodded.

“Thanks. I got the flowers. Who do I have to thank for that?” Matt looked around.

“JC, actually,” Lance said. “He took the collection and all.”

“I’ll make sure and say something to him.” Matt made a note in his journal. “Okay. About this year’s pledges. Anyone have something to say?”

“They’re almost boring!” Luis, the brother who had spoken to Matt first, whined.

“You just say that because they don’t cross-dress,” AJ said.

“You’re just jealous that I look better in a skirt than you do,” Luis countered, but AJ knew he was joking. There were two brothers in the frat who liked to wear women’s clothing, and everyone loved to tease them about it.

“Seriously,” Matt said with a smile.

“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble,” Lance said. “We did a check on their grades…everyone seems to be able to keep up with their classes AND pledge the frat.”

“Good. Okay…well, then, I guess it’s time to assign little brothers,” Matt said. He read down a list, matching pledges with frat members who would be their mentors. Lance allowed his mind to wander a bit, thinking about the project he had to do for one of his classes. “Lance…Justin Timberlake.”

“What?” Lance said, looking at Matt. “What?” He watched AJ hide a smirk. “Me and him?”

“Is there a problem, Lance?” Matt said. “Is HE a problem?”

“Well, no,” Lance admitted. There was nothing bad he could say about Justin. Not yet. “It’s just…he’s a jock. And I’m most definitely NOT.”

“I thought we practiced acceptance here, Lance,” Matt said. “And honestly, I’m shocked.”

“I…” Lance sighed frustration.

“C’mon, Lance, why DON’T you like the kid?” AJ said. “I’m dying to know.”

“No reason,” Lance finally muttered. “Just doesn’t seem like our type, that’s all.”

“You’ll be able to handle it?” Matt asked. Lance nodded. “Good. Okay, McLean. We’ll put you with Heath.”

“Heath? Are you sure you don’t want me to be with someone else? Like, oh, Nick Carter, maybe?” AJ said. It was Lance’s turn to grin.

“AJ, I might have been gone for a bit, but I have eyes and ears here. The LAST thing I’m gonna do is pair you up with that poor boy,” Matt said, and everyone laughed.

 

“So…you singing?” Lance asked JC as they walked to JC’s apartment. It was Friday night, and they were planning on hitting a gay club in town.

“Hmmm?” JC barely looked up from his notebook.

“How you can write and walk without killing yourself amazes me,” Lance said. “I SAID, are you singing in the talent show?”

“No. I’m gonna play something. Maybe a medley of Billy Joel songs,” JC said. “I thought I’d do something different.”

“JC, you have the voice of an angel,” Lance said. “What’s up?”

“I don’t feel like singing, that’s all,” JC said, picking at his notebook.

“Hey, Lance…JC.” They looked up and saw Chris Kirkpatrick walking towards them. “Ready for a weekend?”

“Am I ever,” Lance sighed. “This whole pledge class thing is already driving me crazy.”

“I’m sure you’ll get into the swing of things soon,” Chris said. “I remember pledging…it was hell.” He looked at JC. “Glad that you didn’t miss class today.”

“I told you I wouldn’t,” JC said.

“Good. Don’t forget…essay due Monday.” Chris clapped JC on the back. “Later, kids.”

“You SO have a crush!” Lance squealed as soon as Chris was out of earshot.

“James Lance Bass, I do NOT have a crush,” JC growled. “I’m a grad student for fuck’s sake. Also, he’s a professor.”

“Also, you have a crush,” Lance sing-songed, skipping away from JC. JC rolled his eyes and hurried after him.


	6. Chapter 6

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Six

 

“I SO needed this,” JC said with a sigh as they entered the club. He drew many an appraising look as they wove their way through the crowd at the front door. He wore a pair of skintight blue pants and a loose white shirt.

“I did, too,” Lance said with a sigh. He was dressed much more conservatively, in a pair of black jeans and a grey tshirt. “This whole thing with Justin has been stressing me out.”

“First one’s on me,” JC said with a grin.

“Ha ha, just rub in the fact that I’m months away from legal,” Lance grumbled. “DIET coke this time, not regular.”

“Like you need to lose weight.” But JC forked over the money to the bartender, ordering a diet soda for Lance and a mixed drink for himself. “What’s your problem with Justin, anyway, Lance? You’ve been so demonic where he’s concerned.”

“I am not demonic,” Lance said, trying his best to look angelic. “I just…he rubs me the wrong way, JC. How many athletes join the frat?”

“What difference does it make? How many straight men are involved in theater, and look at Joe,” JC pointed out. “You’re being prejudiced.”

“Maybe.”

“You don’t seem to have the problem with his friend, though…” JC snapped his fingers. “Um…what’s his name?”

“Nick.”

“You don’t mind Nick, do you?”

“Not as much,” Lance admitted. “I just…I think it’s bad. It will only end badly.”

“And lucky you, YOU get to be Timberlake’s big brother,” JC said. “Aww.”

“Fuck off, JC.”

“You get to spend time with him, help him adjust to the idea of being in a gay frat…maybe you two can hook up!”

Lance choked on his soda. “First of all, can we say against house rules? Second of all…”

“I get it, I get it.” JC gulped at his drink. “I need to dance.”

“I’ll be here.” Lance took the fruity beverage from JC and held it. He didn’t like dancing in public, but he enjoyed watching JC. JC was the physical embodiment of the music, letting it flow through his body like liquid. It wasn’t fair, actually. Lance would have given anything to be like JC. JC was uninhibited and fun, sexual without even trying. Compared to JC, Lance felt as sexual as a lima bean.

As JC hit the dance floor, Lance almost choked a second time as he looked across the room and saw someone staring at JC. Someone with dark hair and a dark goatee who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Lance set the drinks down and wove his way onto the crowded dance floor.

“Hey!” JC said happily, grinding up against Lance. Lance allowed it, which surprised JC. “What’s up? You don’t dance.”

“And I’m not dancing now…however, I see someone who has their eye on you. Maybe THEY’LL dance with you.”

“Who? Is he hot?” JC’s blue eyes darted around as he giggled shyly.

“I think you’d probably think so.” Lance grabbed JC by the shoulders and turned him in the right direction. Lance grinned as JC actually stopped dancing.

“Oh my…that’s…”

“Chris Kirkpatrick…the teacher you are currently crushing on. And what do you know…he’s obviously gay!”

“I’m not crushing on anyone, you girl,” JC said absently. Chris caught his eye and quickly looked away. “And he’s not gay. He’s probably just doing some research…the gay community and the way music affects it.”

“That is the biggest crock of shit I have ever heard,” Lance said. He tugged JC by the shirt and led him from the dance floor. “What kind of person does research on a Friday night?”

“A professor,” JC moaned. “God, I looked…”

“You looked hot, JC,” Lance said. “And he looked like he thought you were hot stuff, too. He wants you.”

“He does not,” JC whispered. Lance rolled his eyes.

“You and that damned low self esteem. JC, you were hot out there. He wanted you. GO talk to him!”

“I can’t,” JC said. “He’s a teacher. I’m a student.”

“You’re both legal. You’re both into the alternative lifestyle.”

“Shut up.” JC nervously looked around. “I need a drink.”

“So do I,” Lance said, suddenly stiffening as Justin Timberlake and Nick Carter entered the club. “Dammit. Are they even eighteen?”

“Obviously. It’s your job to uphold fraternity relations. Go say hello.”

“Go talk to Chris.”

“Fine.” JC stomped off and Lance made sure he was headed in the right direction before making himself known to the two pledges.

“Hi, Lance,” Nick said. His blue eyes darted around shyly. “Um, some of the guys said this was a good place to go.”

“What guys?” Lance almost snapped. He could hear the men from the basketball team telling them to go to Renegade, that they could kick some fairy ass there.

“In the frat,” Nick said. “Were they wrong?”

“No…” Lance said, sighing. “This is a great club. It’s clean and fun and you can feel safe here.”

“Why wouldn’t you feel safe?” Justin asked.

“Because some people like to kick the shit out of little gay boys…usually jocks like yourselves,” Lance said, finally allowing some of his frustration out.

“We ARE little gay boys, Lance.” Justin glared at him. “Look, you’re not gonna scare us away. We’re joining your frat, and you and I will HAVE to get along sooner or later.”

“Definitely sooner. I’m your big brother,” Lance informed him.


	7. Chapter 7

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Seven

 

JC picked at the rings in his spiral notebook as Chris talked. He couldn’t meet the professor’s eye, no matter how interesting the discussion was. He didn’t know WHAT was wrong with him. Chris was an attractive man, true, but JC thought a lot of men were attractive. Chris was fun and intelligent. There again, JC had met a lot of those, too. It was just something about Chris. Something drew JC in, had drawn him in from day one. That bothered him. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but this was an example of it if he had ever seen one.

“JC…can I talk to you?” Chris asked as the class ended and everyone rushed for the door. JC lagged behind and Chris closed the door to the classroom. “Are you okay?”

“Who, me? Fine!” JC answered with fake cheerfulness.

“It was nice seeing you at that club on Friday,” Chris said, leaning against the chalkboard.

“Yeah, it was.”

“You go there a lot?”

“Um, I guess so.”

“With your friend?”

“Who, Lance? Yeah, he comes with me. He’s not a dancer, though, he just stands around watching me,” JC replied.

“Oh,” Chris said. “Well, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to much about me being there. Many of the faculty members know that I’m gay, but I’d rather not advertise it. I was active in the gay community while in college, but many of the people I ran with are no longer around, so…”

“I understand,” JC said, nodding. “Was there anything else?”

Chris looked as if he were about to say something, then changed his mind. “No. You have a good day.”

“You, too,” JC said. He went into the hallway and pounded his head against the wall. “Was there anything else? How could I say that? Here was the perfect opportunity to have a conversation with him, and I blew it.” JC sighed with frustration, then headed down the hall.

 

“Justin?” Lance ran after Justin, half hoping that Justin hadn’t heard him calling his name across one of the courtyards. Justin slowly turned around.

“Oh, hi, Lance.” He turned to his friend. “Trace…this is Lance. The one I was telling you about.”

“Hi,” the other boy said. He was as tall as Justin. “I’m Trace.”

“Hey,” Lance said. “Are you on the basketball team, too?”

“Yeah,” Trace said. They all stood for a second, then Lance remembered why he had stopped Justin.

“We should get together. Talk about stuff. You free tonight?”

“I have practice tonight and tomorrow night. Free the next night, though.”

“Wanna come by the house? That’s pizza night.”

“Sweet,” Justin said, grinning. “I’ll be there.” He walked away, dribbling his basketball. Lance frowned as he watched him leave.

“Okay, you were right,” JC said, walking up behind him.

“What? Let me get out my datebook and pencil that in. JC admitted I was right.” Lance turned away from watching Justin’s slender frame and smiled at his friend.

“Ha ha. You were right. Chris Kirkpatrick is gay. He admitted it to me today,” JC said. He hefted his backpack up. “Where are you headed?”

“Free period. My class was cancelled. I was headed for some lunch.”

“Cool. I need caffeine.” JC fell into step beside Lance. “Got your talent show piece ready?”

“Yeah…I’m glad that thing is next week. I hate that we had hardly ANY time to prepare, but I hate performing in it even more.”

“It was YOUR brilliant idea,” JC reminded him.

“I know. Hey, while we’re admitting things…I talked to Justin and we’re gonna hang out in a few days. That should make you happy.”

“Since when is your life’s mission making ME happy?” JC asked, laughing. “Lance, I don’t care what you do, except I know that dealing with this kid drives you crazy.”

“I’m above all that,” Lance said. “I’ve decided to be incredibly nice to him.”

“Nice enough to convince him to join the frat?”

“Not that nice,” Lance said, and JC laughed again.

“So…why do you want to join the frat?” Lance wiped at his mouth with a napkin. He and Justin were eating pizza, sitting cross-legged on Lance’s bed.

“Why not?” Justin said, and Lance raised an eyebrow. “Just kidding. I wanted to be with people like me?”

“We’re not like you,” Lance said almost automatically.

“The people in this frat are bi or gay. The people in this frat will not care if my date is a guy. I can’t find many other places like that.”

“You did it to be accepted?”

“I did it to feel comfortable. I know what you think of me. You think a jock can’t be into the alternative lifestyle. Guess what, Lance, I’m a jock, and I’m into it.” Justin finished his piece of pizza. “Deal with it.”

“Whether or not I deal with your lifestyle choice has nothing to do with your acceptance into this fraternity, Justin. It’s all up to you and what you make us think of you,” Lance said. “But you do realize it’s not one big orgy, right? That you can’t even date another brother?”

“I know that, Lance. God, I read the rulebook like ten times already.” Justin glared at him. “While we’re getting all honest and open, why did YOU join the frat?”

Lance started to lie, but something on Justin’s face made him change his mind. “What do your parents think about you being bi?”

Justin looked surprised. “Well, uh, they were surprised, but they’re trying to accept it. They hope I’ll get over it while at school.”

“My parents don’t accept it,” Lance said faintly, staring at a picture on his desk. “They ignore it. They know about it, but it’s like the elephant in the living room that everyone sees but refuses to discuss. They throw girls my way, they talk about the family I’ll raise someday…they just ignore the fact that it will never happen.” Lance’s green eyes turned on Justin. “Not only did I join the frat to belong with ‘my kind,’ like you, but I also joined as one last way to defy them.”

“Damn,” Justin whispered.

“So I take this frat stuff really seriously.” Lance looked Justin in the eye. “I hope you’re not playing with us…that it isn’t some sort of joke.”

“It’s NOT a joke, Lance!” Justin insisted.

“Okay,” Lance said, but he didn’t look like he believed it.


	8. Chapter 8

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Eight

 

“Nervous?” JC asked Lance.

“Nah.” Lance pulled at his tie. “Just eager to get the damn thing over with.”

“Need I remind you WHOSE idea it was to put all the brothers in a talent show?” JC asked with a smile.

“Fuck off, JC.” Lance went to the curtain and peeked out. The small auditorium was full. Another brother had ordered each pledge to make sure at least three friends showed up to watch, and obviously they had all obeyed.

“Do I look okay?” Lance turned and saw Nick Carter standing behind him. He wore a dark blue sweater and dress pants. “I mean…”

“You look fine,” Lance assured him, smiling. He actually liked Nick. He was able to ignore the whole athlete thing when it came to Nick. “Nervous?”

“Some. I haven’t played my guitar in public since the eighth grade.” Nick held the instrument protectively. “Wouldn’t you know I have to go on first?”

“Just pretend there aren’t any judges,” Lance said, looking down to where Chris Kirkpatrick and two other professors were seated at a table. “Pretend it’s the eighth grade again.”

“I got booed off the stage in the eighth grade,” Nick admitted, and Lance laughed.

“Break a leg…or a guitar string…” Lance gave Nick a gentle shove out onto the stage.

Nick sat down in front of the microphone, adjusting the height of the mike stand. He found his place on his guitar strings, and began to sing. “She never mentions the word addiction…in certain company…”

Nick gained confidence as the song went on, and Lance smiled broadly. Nick had the guts to go against adversity. That was definitely something they looked for in a pledge. “You look nice,” Justin said, walking over. “You clean up good.”

Lance looked at Justin’s baggy black pants and oversized shirt. “At least one of us does.”

“Hey. You said I had to perform…not dress up in a monkey suit like the rest of you.” Justin applauded loudly as Nick came off the stage. “Dude, you rocked!”

“Thanks,” Nick said shyly. His blond bangs fell into his eyes.

“Nick, you were great!” AJ came up and hugged him. “Really. You did us proud.” Nick blushed again.

“Good luck,” Justin said to Lance.

“You, too,” Lance said through clenched teeth. Just when he thought he could like Justin, he did something to piss Lance off all over again.

“Won’t need it,” Justin said nonchalantly.

Lance’s number was fifth on the bill, but he had to wait until almost the end to see Justin. JC did his piano piece brilliantly, of course, and Joey did a musical comedy act that had everyone laughing. JC went back out to the piano, and Justin stood in front of the microphone.

“I’ve been alive forever…and I wrote the very first song…” Justin began. A few girls seemed to sigh. “I put the words and the melodies together…I am music…and I write the songs…”

“I don’t believe this,” Lance scoffed. “Barry Manilow? Who wants to hear THIS?”

“They do,” AJ said, pointing to about five girls in the front row. Their eyes were glued to Justin, and they looked like they wanted to shriek at every note that flowed from his lips.

“Whatever,” Lance grumbled, going backstage to find something to drink.

 

“We’d like to thank everyone for participating in the show,” Chris said, looking perfectly at ease in front of an entire audience. “Everyone did a great job, but we have to single out a few performers as exceptional.” He looked down at a piece of paper in his hand. “Best vocal performance…Joey Fatone.” Joey went out onto the stage and grinned at the audience. Lance clapped proudly. “Most original performance…JC Chasez.” JC turned beet red and quickly ran out on stage. Chris handed him a small trophy, and Lance noticed the look that quickly crossed between them. Why couldn’t JC realize that Chris wanted him?

“Good job,” Lance said to JC when he returned. “You were fantastic.”

“And…I guess I can call this one the People’s Choice award…Best Overall Performance…Justin Timberlake.”

A few girls screamed as Justin went out onto the stage. He beamed his thousand-watt smile at the audience and Lance rolled his eyes. “You need to relax. Whatever he’s done to you…” JC began.

“He didn’t DO anything. And he’ll never get the chance. Don’t start this with me, JC,” Lance said, sighing.

 

There was an after-party at the frat house, and everyone who performed was invited. The only straight person who attended, however, was Joey. “That was fun, now, wasn’t it, Lance?” Joey asked.

“No,” Lance said. “I hate that kinda stuff.”

“Hey, JC…are there beginner guitar classes in the music department?” Nick asked JC.

“Sure, Nick,” JC said, wandering over to talk to him about it.

“Lance…Joey…you both did great,” a voice said behind them.

“Hey! Chris!” Joey said. “I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

“Justin and a few of your guys talked me into it,” Chris said, sipping at his beer. “Though I probably should be reporting you all…alcohol with underage kids around.”

“But you won’t,” Lance said, smiling. He almost wished he had psychology classes to take. Chris was a great professor and a nice guy. He watched JC start towards them, then pause. JC did an about face and walked in the other direction. Lance glanced at Chris, who was watching JC intently.

“So…what’s up next, Big Brother?” Justin came up and threw an arm around Lance’s shoulder. Lance stiffened as he felt a shudder move through his body.

“Nothing.” Lance pushed Justin away and went after JC.


	9. Chapter 9

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Nine

 

“Oh my God.” Lance stopped walking and stared at JC, who was cheerfully striding towards him.

“Good morning, Lansten.” He peeked at the novel Lance was reading as he walked. “David Copperfield?”

“My lit class. I think Charles Dickens should be banned from all schools,” Lance griped. He looked JC in the eye. “What’s up with the tshirt?”

“Oh, that!” JC laughed as he tugged at his “Rainbow Brite” tshirt. “I have to meet Joey to talk about some stuff, and when I talked to him earlier, he was hung over. Since he is particularly sensitive about his sexual orientation when he’s hung over, I thought I’d wear this.”

“You are pure evil.”

“Perfect shirt for a fairy like you,” a tall brunette said as he walked by. Lance stiffened and shrank back a bit. He didn’t know the speaker, who stopped at looked at JC. “Really, I mean, do you need to advertise it?”

“Maybe I’m an eighties kid at heart and just loved the cartoon,” JC shot back. The guy laughed.

“Hell, no. You’re a fucking queen, aren’t ya?”

“You mean the rainbow patches all over my backpack don’t give it away?” JC asked in mock innocence.

“How about you? You his boyfriend?” The guy asked Lance.

“Yes, he is. And if you’re lucky, we’ll start going at it right here in front of you.” JC threw an arm around Lance’s shoulders. Lance wished the ground would swallow him whole. He still wasn’t very good at dealing with his sexuality in public, for all that he did with the fraternity.

“What’s going on here?” Justin Timberlake walked up and Lance actually shook a little. “Bruce?”

“I’m offended by this fairy’s shirt, JT,” the guy said.

“Really?” Justin looked at JC and grinned. “I have a shirt just like it, though. Didn’t you see me at practice?” Bruce blinked as he tried to remember. “Why are you picking on JC when you have no problem with me?”

“You’re different, dude. You’re a jock. You’re one of us.”

“No, I’m not. I’m not “one of” anyone. I’m me. And I like what I like. You like what you like, and JC like what JC likes. And Lance here…” Justin threw Lance a grin. “No one’s QUITE sure what Lance likes, but he’s entitled to it, whatever it is. Lay off, Bruce. Let’s go shoot some hoops. I don’t feel like going to class anyway. Later, guys.” Justin clapped his teammate on the arm and led him away before he could say anything else.

“Still hate him?” JC asked Lance, watching Justin walk away.

“Not for the next ten minutes,” Lance said. “That WAS cool of him,” he admitted. “He’s sure not embarrassed about what he is.”

“What IS he, Lance?”

“He’s…a basketball player,” Lance said finally.

“Hey, you two okay?” Chris Kirkpatrick approached them. “I was over on that bench and heard everything.”

“We’re fine,” JC said, blushing.

“I like the shirt. I’m an eighties kid, myself…though I prefer Strawberry Shortcake.” Chris grinned and bit into his apple.

“JC loves Strawberry Shortcake, don’t you, JC?” Lance asked. JC mumbled something incoherent. “He has a Strawberry Shortcake pencil can, he has a lamp…”

“Ebay,” JC said finally. “I find stuff on Ebay.”

“Cute.” Chris finished his apple and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. “See you in class, JC. Bye, Lance.”

“You just totally embarrassed me!” JC almost yelled at Lance when Chris was out of earshot. Lance laughed.

“Like you’re gonna embarrass Joey. I’m scoring one for him. Later.” Lance picked up his novel and went on down the sidewalk.

 

“Charity.” Matthew looked around the living room of the frat house. All the members as well as the pledges were lounging on the floor. “We want to make sure you pledges know that we care about how we look. We like doing charity work, because it shows that we want to help the community, not corrupt it. So, every year, we have the big brothers and little brothers go out and do community service. There’s a signup sheet in the kitchen. You have to agree and go as a team. There are things like working at the Salvation Army, going to the homeless shelters, and volunteering at the youth club downtown. Pick something.” Matthew looked around. “You’ll be doing it all day on Saturday.” There were a few grumbles. Matthew raised an eyebrow and the room fell silent. “AJ?”

“Okay, so, yeah, after the whole charity day, we’ll have a party here that night. Bring your own bottle, and a date, if you wish.” An excited buzz went around the room. AJ’s eyes fell on Nick Carter, and he sighed sadly. “And don’t forget…no fraternizing with brothers OR other pledges. It’s a rule.”

“That concludes this meeting.” Matthew tossed down his notebook and everyone began to talk. Justin came over to Lance.

“So…what are we doing?”

“Whatever you want. I don’t care,” Lance said. Justin thought for a moment, looking Lance over from head to toe. “What?” Lance snapped.

“You look REALLY good in that color green,” Justin said suddenly, picking at the sleeve of Lance’s tshirt. Lance turned crimson. “I mean it. It makes your eyes…I don’t know. Glow.”

“Thank you.” Lance didn’t know what to say.

“Homeless shelter.”

“What?”

“Let’s go to the homeless shelter.”

“I don’t think so,” Lance said. “Really, Justin. I went there last year, and it was SO boring. I mean, I like helping people, but it’s just dull…and really depressing.”

“Well, what do YOU want to do?”

“The youth club, I was thinking. We could tutor.”

Justin laughed. “Maybe YOU could tutor.”

“You think tutoring’s dumb?” Lance said defensively.

“No, I think I’M dumb. I can’t teach someone. I can barely learn myself,” Justin said softly. “Not the brightest crayon in the box, as my dad likes to say.”

“I’m sure you’re bright enough to teach a middle school kid,” Lance said. Justin just shook his head. “Let’s go anyway. I’m sure there’s something else you can do besides tutor.”

“If you want,” Justin said with a resigned sigh. “Well, I better grab Nick and go. We’re supposed to hit the library before dinner.”

“Justin…thank you,” Lance said suddenly. Justin looked at him. “For what you did for JC.”

“Hey, he’s my friend. No one messes with my friends…or big brothers,” Justin added pointedly. “I gotta fly. See you on Saturday, if not before.”

Lance watched Justin walk away, trying to ignore how the jeans he wore accentuated the long lines of his legs.


	10. Chapter 10

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Ten

 

“This is SUCH a mistake,” Justin said as they entered the youth club. Lance introduced himself to the director as Justin looked around. “What the hell can I give these kids?”

“You backing out?” Lance said hopefully.

“You still don’t want me in the frat, do you, Lance?” Justin finally looked angrily. “Mind telling me why?”

“Because no matter how much you stick up for your gay friends, and no matter how much you parade around waving your sexuality like an invisible rainbow flag, I don’t get what you want here. I don’t believe you want this life. Guys like you don’t,” Lance snapped. Justin couldn’t find a response before the director returned.

“Lance, I have some guys over there who are really stuck with some of their classes. Do you tutor, too, Justin?”

“No way. We athletes are obviously not the tutoring types. Not the frat types, either, apparently,” Justin said, glaring at Lance. The director looked confused.

“An athlete? Would you like to go out and round up a game of basketball with those boys?” The director motioned out the window to where a group of young boys were standing around talking.

Justin grinned. “Now THAT’S the kind of tutoring I can get with. Later, Bookworm.” Justin gave Lance his most arrogant smile and sauntered out of the building.

 

“So…have a good time today?” JC was on Lance’s bed, watching Lance fix his hair for the party.

“A nightmare,” Lance replied. “Justin Timberlake is such a dickhead.”

“Whoa!” JC sat up. “I thought you two were getting along.”

“He called me a bookworm.”

“Well, Lance, I hate to tell you…” JC teased gently.

“Shut up.” Lance pulled at a few spikes of hair. “Just because I can spell words that are longer than two syllables and he can’t…”

“Are you gonna recommend him to become a brother?” JC asked seriously. Lance sighed.

“I have no real reason not to. He was great with the kids today,” Lance said, remembering how Justin had looked out on the basketball court. He was patient and kind, and by the end of the day, every boy had been in awe of him. They worshipped him like some sort of idol. Lance frowned as he remembered how HE had been watching Justin, watching the sweat run down his bare chest after he had removed his tshirt. “All I know is that he’ll show his true colors after a while, and everyone will know I was right.”

“Lance…” JC said softly.

“Let’s just say I have experience with boys like him, Jayce. I know how easy they can lie.” Lance checked himself once more in the mirror. “Let’s go down.”

AJ was already in a corner, unhappily watching Nick Carter talk to another brother. “He is SO damn fine,” he sighed. “It’s not fair.”

“Rules are rules,” Lance reminded him.

“Shut up, Lance. It’s not like YOU would ever have feelings for another brother. No, Lance Bass, YOU’RE perfect. The perfect little angelic virgin.” AJ angrily slurped at his drink.

“Whoa, Aje,” JC said in surprised.

“Never mind. I’m getting drunk. See you.” AJ headed for the makeshift bar.

“Don’t worry about him,” JC said, laughing nervously. “You know how he is when he’s horny.”

“Well, apparently, I don’t know, because I’m an angelic virgin, and we all know angelic virgins don’t GET horny,” Lance said.

“Are you?”

“Am I what? Angelic? A virgin? Horny?” Lance asked.

“WHO’S horny?” Justin said, walking over. Lance whirled around, blushing. “Red’s a good color on you, Lance,” Justin said, laughing. “Guys, this is Mark. Mark, these are some of the brothers, JC and Lance. Lance is my BIG brother.”

“Hi,” Mark said. “Justin and I have a few classes together.”

“So, uh, you’re his date?” Lance asked, wondering why that thought bothered him.

“Yeah, he is. Why, Lance, you jealous?” Justin had an odd tone to his voice, but he smiled.

“Of course not.” Lance turned to JC. “Jayce, this place blows. Let’s go party.”

“Um, okay,” JC said. “Bye, Justin. Nice to meet you, Mark.” JC followed Lance out of the frat house. “Where are we going?”

“Out,” Lance said simply. “Let’s go to Renegade. This angelic virgin needs to dance.”


	11. Chapter 11

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Eleven

 

“Lance, you HATE dancing,” JC protested as they entered the club. “What IS all this?”

“Maybe I want to change. Maybe I WANT to dance. Is that a crime?”

“No, except you can’t really dance,” JC teased.

“Thanks a lot, JC,” Lance said angrily. “Now you know why I never want to dance with you.”

“Lance, what are you trying to prove? AJ and Justin aren’t even here.”

“AJ’s being a dick. And Justin…” Lance paused, confused. Why DID he care what Justin thought? “I don’t give two shits about Justin.” Lance pulled off the button-down shirt he wore and threw it in a corner. He headed for the dance floor in his wifebeater and khakis.

“What the hell?” JC said to himself. He went to the bar and got himself a drink, watching in shock as Lance wedged himself between two hot guys, grinding himself against them.

“Hey, JC,” Chris Kirkpatrick said, walking over. “Looks like your boy’s out there getting crazy.”

“Yeah,” JC said. He sighed, suddenly feeling very old. “I don’t know WHAT his problem is. He lets what other people say about him really hurt him.”

“I learned to deal with that a long time ago, but it’s hard,” Chris said. “It’s hard to be yourself. But I see you don’t have much of a problem with that.”

“If people can’t accept me, screw them,” JC said.

“Exactly,” Chris agreed, clinking his glass against JC’s. JC drank deeply, nervous as always around his professor. “So…you don’t care that he’s out there, doing that?”

“I worry about him. He’s NEVER like this,” JC said. “But he’s not a kid, really. He can do what he wants.”

“Wow…I don’t know if I could have a relationship like that,” Chris said softly. “I mean, just letting him go off and dance that way. I would be insanely jealous.”

“Well, I DO dance better than he does,” JC said with a grin. “So I’m not TOO jealous. And, I mean, we’re friends. I can only tell him so much.”

“Friends?” Chris asked, staring at JC.

“Yeah…we’ve been friends for a few years now. Why?”

“ONLY friends?”

“Uh, yeah,” JC said slowly, forgetting to be nervous for once. “Why?”

Chris laughed, slamming his drink down on the bar. “God, JC, I thought Lance was your boyfriend.”

“My WHAT?” JC asked. “I don’t have a boyfriend!”

“Well, I saw you hug him once, and that day when that jock was giving you a hard time, I just thought…” Chris shook his head. “Obviously I thought wrong.”

“You look relieved,” JC said before he thought. He saw Chris blush in the flashing lights of the club.

“I, well…yeah. I mean, it’s terrible to have a…well…CRUSH…on someone when you think they’re involved with someone else.”

“Crush. On Lance?” JC asked softly.

“No…on you.”

“But you’re my teacher. And…you’re…well…you’re YOU,” JC babbled.

“Yes, I am your teacher. That makes it kinda difficult. But being me…that’s nothing exciting.”

“I think it is,” JC said shyly. He and Chris stared at each other for a long moment. “And you won’t be my teacher FOREVER.”

“Unless I flunk you,” Chris said with a grin. “But that won’t happen.”

“Is there rules against this kinda thing?” JC asked, his heart pounding in his ears.

“It’s frowned upon, yes…but it’s not like we’d flaunt anything anyway,” Chris said. “Would you like to go get something to eat?”

“I shouldn’t leave Lance,” JC said, looking at the dance floor. “He’s acting so strange tonight.”

“Bring him along. He can chaperone.”

“Do I need a chaperone?” JC asked innocently. Chris simply grinned, and JC hurried onto the dance floor to grab Lance.


	12. Chapter 12

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twelve

 

Lance had originally fought the idea of leaving the club with JC. First of all, he didn’t feel like watching JC and Chris play the cat and mouse game they had been involved in since the beginning of the semester. Secondly, he just wanted to dance, to try and be someone else for a while. Obviously the person he truly was was incredibly boring.

“C’mon, Lance, please?” JC had begged. JC so rarely begged for anything that Lance relented. “I really like him. And I don’t want to leave you here alone. I’m not that kind of friend.”

“Fine. But if you two end up playing footsie under the table, I’m gone.”

“No footsie,” JC had promised.

Lance ended up having a really good time. He knew Chris fairly well from the talent show, and he found that Chris was absolutely hysterical. Lance soon forgot why he had wanted to stay behind in the first place.

“So…I hope you eat better than you dance,” Chris said with a straight face as they climbed into a booth at the most popular diner in town. JC and Lance sat across from Chris, and Lance saw JC’s mouth fall open out of the corner of his eye.

“I think I do MANY things better than I dance,” Lance replied, and Chris grinned.

“At least you recognize that fact. I think I’ll have eggs,” Chris said, swiftly changing topics. JC blinked. It was Lance’s turn to smile.

“Chris, you’ll have to slow yourself down a bit for JC here. He’s not always quick on the uptake.”

“I like doing things slow,” Chris said, looking JC in the eye. JC actually blushed, as did Lance. “You two are so cute. All sweet and innocent.”

“I’m not innocent,” JC and Lance said together, then glared at each other.

“We’ll get to you in a minute,” Chris said to JC. He looked at Lance. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

“You’re not the dancing type. You’re not the type to get your groove on in public. JC said you weren’t acting like yourself.”

“This is not the time nor place to give me a psychological evaluation,” Lance said primly.

“Sure it is! You learn the most about someone in a casual situation.”

“I think he likes someone that he hates,” JC volunteered.

“Who?” Lance turned to his friend.

“Timberlake.”

“JC, I should wash your mouth out with Clorox!” Lance choked. “Justin Timberlake?”

“Hmmm…remember how in elementary school, the girl whose pigtails you pulled and picked on the most was the one you liked the best?” Chris mused.

“No,” JC and Lance answered as one. Chris laughed.

“Right…I’m the only bi at this table. Anyway…maybe you’re right, JC. Maybe Lance has a thing for that Timberlake kid.”

“No. No no no,” Lance said firmly. “No way. I hate him. I hate everything he stands for. He SAYS he’s bi, says he wants to join the frat, but there’s no way he has such innocent motives in mind.”

“Are you saying every athlete is a liar who wants to get into gay frats?” Chris asked softly.

“No. Just him. I mean…guys like him,” Lance said quickly. “I’m gonna have French toast. JC, what are you having?”

“Uh, waffles,” JC said quickly, blinking again at the quick change in topic. “With apples.”

The waitress arrived, and Lance was saved, though momentarily. They gave their orders and handed over their menus. Chris sipped at his coffee and looked at Lance. He then caught JC’s eye and winked. “That Justin’s pretty hot, though. I mean, for a kid. He’s what…eighteen?”

“He’s a freshman,” Lance replied. “And he’s not all THAT hot.”

“He’s the one with the green eyes, right?”

“Blue,” Lance said quickly. “Blue eyes.”

“Oh.” Chris looked at JC, eyes sparkling with amusement. He changed the subject to music, and it was Lance’s turn to observe as JC and Chris talked.

They stayed at the diner until almost two in the morning, when JC started yawning. “JC’s not a night owl,” Lance said as they stood and tossed down their money. “But then again, he’s not a morning person, either.”

“I like to sleep,” JC said defensively. “It’s my hobby.”

Chris smiled. “I promise to let you sleep as much as you like.”

“I had fun, Chris. Thanks,” Lance said. “I’m gonna start back to the frat. JC, call me.” Lance walked away before JC could say anything.

“So…” JC bounced on his heels.

“Is this where I walk you to your door and kiss you under the porch light?” Chris asked.

“You want to kiss me?” JC whispered.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you all night,” Chris admitted. “Where’s your porch light?”

“About three blocks from here.”

They began walking towards JC’s apartment. “So…would you like to go out sometime, or do something?” Chris asked.

“This Saturday I was going to drive out to Sonoma to go to the Art Festival,” JC said. “I don’t know if you want to spend all day with me looking at art, but…”

“I just want to spend all day with you,” Chris interrupted. “I don’t care WHAT we’re looking at.”

“Here’s my building,” JC said, looking up. “But I don’t have a porch light.”

“So I’ll just kiss you right here,” Chris said, tilting his head up slightly. JC turned his face down and they kissed. “I’ll see you in class.”

“Right,” JC said. “Will this be weird?”

“Probably. If I pay you less attention than normal, don’t be hurt. It’s just better that way.”

JC nodded. “Okay, well…I’ll see you.” He made himself go into the building and shut the door before he continued to kiss Chris until they both passed out.


	13. Chapter 13

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Thirteen

 

“And then we spent like an hour at the children’s section,” JC said. “I never used to waste time looking at the kiddie art, but Chris made it so fun!”

“And then you bought ice cream cones and fed them to each other, right?” Lance said, grinning.

“Well…” JC blushed and Lance laughed.

“You two are SO cute.”

“Who two?” AJ asked. They were lounging around the kitchen of the fraternity house. It was the night of the initiation, and Lance was in charge of the food. Most of it had been catered from a local deli, but he had to make sure that there was enough to drink for everyone.

“JC and his new boyfriend,” Lance said, turning back to the sink.

“I’m, uh, dating Chris Kirkpatrick,” JC said shyly, knowing he could trust AJ.

“Really? About damn time you two got your acts together,” AJ said. “Good for you. I know you really like him.”

“He’s great.” JC blushed again.

“For a teacher, right? I mean, he IS ancient,” AJ teased.

“He is NOT ancient. He’s only five years older than I am and…”

“Whoa, Jayce, relax. Good on ya, man.” AJ turned to Lance. “Look, Lance, I hope you’re not still mad at me for what I said that night.”

“Of course not.” Lance kept his back to AJ. AJ turned him by the shoulders.

“I was pissy and depressed. I hate wanting what I can’t have, ya know?”

“And you want Carter,” Lance said. “We could always turn him down…not let him in the frat.”

“Nah…that would hang over my head and I’d hate it. Plus he’s frat material. And for all I know, he could totally NOT be into me.”

“I can’t imagine anyone not being into YOU, AJ,” JC said loyally.

“True,” AJ said humbly, and Lance laughed.

“I’m not mad anymore, Aje, honest,” Lance said, hugging his friend.

“Cool.” AJ breezed out of the kitchen.

“So…you’ve nominated Justin for sure?” JC said to Lance in a low voice. Lance sighed.

“Yeah. I realized that as a good Big Brother, I couldn’t let my personal history affect my decision about the frat.”

“Your personal history?” JC asked.

“Nevermind.”

“You knew Justin before?”

“No,” Lance answered quickly. “Just his type.”

“Oh,” JC said.

“Please don’t ask me any more, okay, Jayce?”

“Sure, Lance. Let’s go into the common room.”

They found seats on the sofas that were reserved for the brothers. JC was technically an alumni and not a brother, but he was invited to all frat events regardless. The ‘ceremony’ was not very formal or mysterious. The pledges were officially sworn in as brothers, and gave their vow to protect the fraternity and the people in it. They also promised to not become involved romantically or sexually with any of the other brothers. Sometimes that was the hardest rule to keep, but it was rare that the fraternity needed to kick someone out. Being a member of a group of people who shared your beliefs and your hardships was much more important then temporary love or lust.

“Did you ever want to get with anyone in the frat while you were a member?” Lance asked JC as Matthew shook the hands of the new brothers.

“Yeah.” JC toyed with his shoelace. “But I got over it pretty quick. I needed the frat too bad to jeopardize anything.”

“Really?” Lance was surprised by both of JC’s statements. “What do you mean?”

“There was a guy who was a senior when I started here who I had a big crush on…but we became friends and it was all good. When I was a freshman, I was a little scared of coming out. I knew forever that I was gay, but I was afraid of it. I mean, I was already a music major, and that didn’t score me a lot of “straight” points, if you will…I needed to find other people like me. I found the frat, and there ya go.”

“Wow,” Lance said. “I mean, you’re so comfortable with it now, and so sexual.”

“You think I’m sexual?” JC blushed and his eyes sparkled a bit.

“God, Jayce, next time you’re on the dance floor, look at yourself in that mirrored wall. You ooze sex. I’m about as sexy as a vegetable.”

“What kind of veggie?” JC teased.

“Lima beans,” Lance said immediately.

“We’re talking food here?” Justin walked over. “Lima beans? I LOVE lima beans.”

Lance bit back a retort about eavesdropping and instead pasted on a smile. “Welcome, Justin.”

“Thank you for nominating me,” Justin said almost shyly. “It means a lot to me, Lance. I want you to know that.”

“You’re welcome.” Lance actually blushed. JC looked from Lance to Justin and made an excuse to walk away. “So…Mark coming around later?” They were permitted to have dates attend the party after the ceremony.

“Who? Oh, Mark,” Justin said. “Nah…that was just a one time thing. He’s not the guy I’m really into.”

“Oh,” Lance said lamely.

“You gotta date coming?”

“Yeah,” Lance lied quickly. “Someone from one of my classes. I tutor with him.”

“Sounds stimulating,” Justin teased. Lance frowned. “You guys convert fractions or something while you’re having sex?”

“My sex life is none of your business,” Lance snapped. “Back off.”

“God, Lance, like I even care about your sex life,” Justin retorted. He turned away. If Lance had known him any better, he would have noticed the unhappy dimness in his eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JC's costume makes me weak. Just saying.

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Fourteen

 

“How did I let you talk me into this?” Lance muttered.

“Quit blinking!”

“JC, you keep sticking something in my eye. I can’t help it if I blink!”

“Just…try, okay?” JC said, exasperated.

“Fine. Lemme get it out.” Lance blinked hard and fast, then straightened up obediently. “There.”

“You are gonna look so hot. The two of us are gonna make them drool.”

“Make WHO drool?” Lance asked.

“Our men.”

“I don’t have a man,” Lance corrected. “YOU have an elf.”

“I have a man,” JC said defensively. “And I forgot. There’s no one that will be at this party tonight that you secretly think is hot.”

“Maybe Joey,” Lance said, and JC threatened to poke him in the eye with the black eyeliner he was applying.

“Stop it.”

Lance obediently looked up at the ceiling as JC applied the black streaks below his green eyes. He had no clue WHO JC was talking about. The Halloween party was mostly for the frat, though a few outsiders usually showed up. Joey liked to come with a few of his larger friends to the fraternity parties, because occasionally someone else who didn’t LIKE the idea of a gay fraternity felt the need to assert his opinion. And since most of Joey’s friends were culinary majors who liked to sample their own work, most of Joey’s friends were on the large side.

“I don’t want any of Joey’s friends, OR Joey. And since anyone else who will be here without a date is a member of the frat…”

“And since we know good little Lance would never break a rule…”

“I can’t,” Lance said, almost panicking. “I couldn’t get thrown out.”

“Relax, Lance, I was kidding,” JC said. “Okay. I’m done.”

“Good,” Lance said.

AJ knocked, then poked his head in the door. “Hey, do either of you…damn, Lancey!” AJ smiled. “Nice.” Lance blushed. “Anyway, do either of you have red hairspray?” Lance and JC looked at him blankly. “Right. Maybe Nick will have some.” AJ darted back out of the room.

“He’s still after him, huh?” JC said, laughing.

“He’s SO jealous that I have the room near the bathroom on this floor,” Lance said. “He’s camped out here three times to see Nick come out of the shower in a towel.”

“Does Nick know?”

“Nah…he misses a lot of that kinda stuff. He doesn’t do subtle,” Lance said, grinning. “I wish he knew how much it SUCKS having the room near the shower. People always wanna borrow stuff that they forget.” Lance ignored the memory of Justin coming out of the bathroom in a pair of low-slung pajama pants. He also ignored the memory of Justin first thing in the morning as he ate his cereal, and Justin late at night, stumbling in drunk from a party he was too young to have attended in the first place. Lance had been trying to ignore Justin a lot lately, and it just wasn’t easy. Justin was everywhere Lance happened to be.

“So…do you think Chris will like it?” JC stepped back and whirled around.

“Chris will pass out,” Lance said. JC was dressed as a cat, in sleek black leather pants and a long sleeved tight black shirt that shimmered when he moved. Small black ears were placed in JC’s wavy hair, and he had drawn black whiskers on his cheeks with eyeliner. “Your ass…hell, JC, it looks amazing.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” JC said, admiring himself in the mirror. “You look good, too.”

“I don’t know.” Lance stood by the mirror and looked at himself. JC had insisted that Lance would make the perfect vampire. Lance wore black leather pants that felt way too snug around his crotch and backside. The shirt was one of JC’s, a smoky grey-green fabric with ruffles down the front. JC had slapped Lance’s hands away as he had attempted to button the shirt, and Lance was embarrassed at how pasty his chest was. JC assured him that vampires had no color, anyway. JC had then carefully used some stage makeup to put two red bite marks on Lance’s neck. Black eyeliner accentuated the beautiful green of Lance’s eyes. He looked like some ethereal otherworldly character.

“I’m telling you. He’ll drool.”

“WHO?”

“Anyone who looks at you,” JC said. He had noticed the sparks between Lance and Justin, and he wondered for the thousandth time why they wouldn’t admit it. He had gotten to know Justin, and he knew that Justin was interested in Lance, although they were as different as night and day. And then there was the whole Lance hating Justin’s guts thing…

“What’s Chris’ costume?” Lance asked to change the subject. JC had finally convinced Chris to come to the party, as long as Chris could wear a mask. It wouldn’t look good for the professor to show up as someone’s date.

“The Man in the Iron Mask,” JC said. “The costume itself is beautiful. A gorgeous burgundy and gold fabric, and then a cool mask…”

“And you’ll rip it all off back at your apartment by midnight, right?” Lance teased. JC blushed.

“Let’s go down.”

 

Many of the frat brothers were already downstairs, and everyone they saw admired Lance’s costume. He began to relax, and even thought that maybe after a few beers, he’d be able to relax.

JC chuckled and pointed at AJ. “Perfect,” he said. AJ was dressed as a devil, in an unbuttoned gauzy red shirt and black and red leather pants. He wore horns in his dark hair, and a tail swung lazily down the back of his legs.

“Meow,” AJ said, sauntering over to JC. “Any chance I can use my evil wiles and lure you away from your man?”

“Doubtful,” JC said, tugging on AJ’s tail. AJ turned to Lance.

“I think we’re on the same side, aren’t we?”

“I’m a good vampire,” Lance said, and AJ laughed.

“Is that like a good witch? No fun.” AJ sailed away.

“The Crocodile Hunter?” JC asked Nick as he approached. Nick sighed.

“No…Indiana Jones. I TOLD Justin this was stupid.”

“Of course you’re Indy,” Lance said quickly. “You have a whip and a gun. The stupid Croc Hunter doesn’t have either of those.”

“Thank you,” Nick said gratefully.

“Where IS Justin?” JC asked. Lance could have kicked him. “Picking up a date?”

“He didn’t have a date, last I heard,” Nick said. “He was looking for his sunglasses. He had special ones for his costume.”

“Oh,” JC said, nodding. He was watching the door for Chris, but he smiled when Joey and his friends came in. “Oh, good Lord.”

“Hiya,” Joey said, smiling. “I’m not gonna get molested in this, am I?” He was dressed as Tom Cruise in “Risky Business,” wearing only underwear, a long shirt, socks and sunglasses.

“I don’t think you’re ANYONE’s type here, Joe,” Lance teased.

“Wow, Lance.” Joey took his first good look at Lance and his mouth fell open. “I hardly even recognized you. You look…”

“Edible. Doesn’t he?” JC said proudly. Lance blushed.

 

Chris came in the door, already sick of his mask and his entire costume. He hadn’t wanted to come in the first place, but JC had begged. As much as he cared about Chris, sometimes he hated the fact that he couldn’t be seen with him around campus. Chris finally relented, allowing JC to pick a costume that would hide his identity. They had confided in Joey, Lance, AJ, Nick and Justin, but no one else would know. JC had kept his own costume a secret, which irritated Chris.

“Hey, Chris,” someone murmured as Chris walked by the stairs to the second floor. He made sure the mask was on firmly, and turned around.

“Timberlake? That you?”

“How do I look?” Justin spun around. He wore dark pants and a dark shirt, and over that he wore a long black trench coat. He quickly shoved sunglasses up on his face.

“Neo. Sweet,” Chris said jealously. “I wish I could dress like that.”

“You look good. I like the mask,” Justin said, fingering it.

“I just can’t see shit. I won’t even be able to find JC,” Chris said.

“I’ll find him. I’m sure he’s with…” Justin actually paled slightly. “Uh, with Lance.”

“Where?” Chris looked in the direction Justin was looking. “Holy hell.” He stared for a moment. “Is that Lance?”

“I think so,” Justin said. “He looks…”

“He looks hot,” Chris said. “His ass in those pants, it’s…”

“Hot,” Justin said. He could hardly form sentences. Shy, bookish Lance made one sexy vampire. “And JC…”

“Where’s JC?” Chris tried to look.

“Next to Lance.”

“The cat?” Chris actually grabbed Justin’s arm. “He told me I’d like it. He told me it was hot. He did NOT tell me I’d want to fuck him right here and now.”

Justin laughed. “Ready to mingle?”

“How long do I have to mingle before I can take him out of here?” Chris watched JC stretch, his smooth stomach revealed under the tight shirt.

“A half hour,” Justin answered.

“This will be the longest thirty minutes of my life,” Chris mumbled, heading for his friends and boyfriend.


	15. Chapter 15

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Fifteen

 

“You talked him into that?” Joey said, laughing as Chris approached.

“He needed something with a mask,” JC replied. “Plus that story is full of all kinds of psychological things, so Chris loved the idea. I’m sure he’s hating the mask, though.”

“Is that Justin?” Lance asked faintly. Justin looked ten feet tall in the long dark coat.

“I think so.” JC tried not to smile as he watched Lance’s face. “He looks almost as cool as you do.”

“Hey.” Chris walked over and put an arm around JC’s slender waist. “You should have warned me. You look one hundred percent fuckable in this.”

“Language,” Joey teased. “Hi, Justin.”

“Hello.” Justin’s eyes were unreadable behind the sunglasses, but it was obvious he was looking at Lance.

Lance was suddenly tired of the way that Justin had infiltrated his every waking thought. He was sick of Justin in a towel, Justin in the frat, and Justin in his life. The compliments and the costume itself made him suddenly brave. “I’m feeling thirsty.”

“Want some blood? I’m sure we can find a virgin for you somewhere,” Joey said, looking around.

“I’m sure there’s some virgin blood close by.” Lance raised a perfect eyebrow as he looked at Justin. Justin laughed, but it was a nervous sound.

“I’m no virgin.”

JC looked from one to the other. “Meow,” he said quietly.

“I’m gonna get a drink. Anyone else?” Lance looked around, but they all shook their heads. Lance sauntered away towards the alcohol, trying not to show how nervous he was. He had never felt the way he did in this costume. It was so different, so NOT him…that it made it easier to act different.

Justin watched Lance walk away. “Wow.”

“He looks DAMN fine in that,” AJ said as he walked over. “I never knew he had an ass that could look that good.”

“Lance’s ass ALWAYS looks that good,” Justin said before he thought. Everyone looked at him and he cleared his throat.

“Body shot, anyone?” Lance said, holding up the bottle of tequila he had brought with him.

AJ laughed. “We know better than to give our necks to a vampire, stupid.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Besides, you might actually enjoy it and we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Lance drank a large gulp from the bottle. He looked at Justin. “Have you ever done body shots?”

“A million times,” Justin said. “I’m not interested.”

“I wasn’t offering. I was just asking,” Lance said. JC stared at him, wondering who this Lance was. “Anyone want some? I plan on finishing the bottle.”

“Rough week?” Chris asked.

“Rough semester. I feel like dancing!” Lance took another swallow and grabbed JC’s hand. “Dance with me, Jayce.”

“Okay, now I KNOW you’re on crack,” JC muttered, but he followed Lance to the makeshift dance floor.

Lance grinded himself up against JC. “Does Chris ever remind you of anyone else you’ve been interested in?”

“Sometimes…but in a good way. Why?”

“No reason.” Lance slid his hands down JC’s backside and watched Chris flinch. He laughed. “Your man’s getting jealous.”

“And he has every right to be. A sexy man has his hands on my ass,” JC replied, laughing. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Maybe I feel like being someone different. Isn’t that what Halloween is all about…hiding your true self behind a costume?” Lance ran a hand down JC’s chest and gently squeezed between JC’s legs. JC gasped and Lance actually giggled.

“Okay, did everyone just see Lance grope JC?” Joey asked.

“Did everyone just see Lance grope JC and think it was hot?” Nick said softly. AJ, Chris, and Justin slowly raised their hands. “Okay. Just checking.”

Lance soon left the dance floor and headed for his bottle. He hadn’t eaten much, and the straight liquor was already going to his head. “Chris, dance with your man before you go fuck like bunnies,” he ordered. Lance then turned to Justin. “Dance with me?”

“You want to dance with ME?” Justin repeated, laughing.

“No, I just want to dance, and you’re closest to me,” Lance snapped. He grabbed Justin with one hand and the bottle with the other. Justin blindly followed him.

“I say we leave now,” Chris said, leaning close to JC’s ear. “I want you so damn bad.”

“I don’t go home with strangers in masks,” JC said primly. “I’m a good little kitty.”

“I’ll show you what I think of good little kitties,” Chris growled.

“Later,” JC said immediately, following Chris out the door.

 

About twenty minutes later, a slow song came on and Lance wound his arms around Justin’s neck. “You mind?”

“Isn’t this against a rule or something?” Justin asked, trying not to enjoy the way Lance was acting. He had tried and tried to fight the feelings he had been experiencing, but it was damn hard when Lance was so sexy and alluring.

“There’s no rule against dancing,” Lance said, sighing. “And you know me. I know ALL the rules.”

“Right,” Justin said. His hands rested on Lance’s hips. When Lance pressed closer, Justin couldn’t help himself. He slid his hands down and squeezed.

“Mmm,” Lance moaned quietly, and Justin melted. That low voice was so sexy. “How many boyfriends have you had?” Lance asked suddenly.

“I don’t really DO boyfriends,” Justin said casually, and Lance looked at him.

“Of course you don’t.” The green eyes briefly went from hazy to sad, then back to indifferent. “Guys like you are all about the sex, right?”

“Guys like me?”

“Yeah.” Lance finished off his bottle as Justin stared. He had had a few beers himself, but nothing like Lance. “You’re just looking to get off.” Lance looked around the room. No one was really paying attention to them, although he knew his costume had received a few approving glances. “Let’s go up to my room.”

“To your room?” Justin repeated.

“To talk.” Lance tossed his bottle aside and took Justin’s hand. “Come on.” Lance smiled pleasantly, and Justin realized he’d get to walk behind that hot ass all the way up the steps.

Lance led the way into his room and closed the door. “So…” Justin said. “What’s up?”

“I figured we could just do this and get it out of the way. That way maybe I can get you outta my head. I thought I got rid of you years ago, but you’re back?”

“Do what?” Justin said, trying not to think of all the things he WISHED would happen.

“You know…” Lance smiled devilishly. He pushed Justin gently until Justin was leaning against the closed door. “What you like.”

“Lance, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re drunk and…”

“I shoulda been drunk the first time,” Lance said, his speech beginning to slur slightly.

“Lance, we never…”

“You jocks are all the same.” Lance licked at Justin’s neck as his hands fumbled under the trench coat for Justin’s pants.

“God.” Justin’s head thudded against the door when Lance found what he sought. “Oh, God, Lance, that…”

“I just wanted to be around you…just wanted to be near you. I coulda dealt with that. But you found out, and decided to use me…didn’t you, Jeremy?” Lance said. His voice shook as he fell to his knees.

“Jeremy?” Justin whispered, snapping out of the lust filled reverie. “Lance, I’m not…”

“All you ball players…so strong and sexy…so built…and your dicks are always so big…” Lance began to lick Justin and Justin tried to keep his self-control. “Pick out the little fag and let him suck you, right? Is that what you do?”

“Yes…I mean, no, Lance. I’m not like that!” Justin protested. He finally grabbed Lance and dragged him to his feet. “Stop!”

“I loved you,” Lance said. “I was sixteen and I loved you. And there’s been no one else since then. I was too afraid. And now…Justin…he’s so wrong. He’s YOU.”

“Lance.” Justin shook Lance gently. Lance began to cry.

“I was over you…and now I want Justin…and I can NOT have him!”

Justin led Lance to the bed. “You should lay down,” Justin said. He pulled off Lance’s boots and helped him lay down.

“I hate you,” Lance said as he drifted off.

Justin left the room, his legs shaking as he closed the door. He practically ran to his own room and picked up the phone.


	16. Chapter 16

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Sixteen

 

“You could have warned me,” Chris growled as he slammed the door of JC’s apartment and leaned JC against it. “That was pure evil.”

“What?” JC asked innocently. Chris reached up and carefully removed the cat ears from JC’s hair.

“Dressing like that. I wanted to fuck you SO bad.” Chris’ hand slid down to cup JC’s ass. “So bad.”

“Are you just gonna tell me about it or are you gonna do it?” JC smiled sweetly.

“Fucker.” Chris whirled them around so he was against the door. “Suck me.”

“Meow,” JC purred with another innocent smile. He slid down to the floor, unbuttoning the tunic Chris wore as he went. He then unlaced the pants, freeing Chris.

“Yes,” Chris hissed. His hands fisted in JC’s hair. “You are too damn good at that.”

“I’m good at a lot of things,” JC murmured, licking up and around and back down again.

“Stop talking or I’ll make you show me how good you are,” Chris threatened, but JC wasn’t afraid. They had quickly realized that JC enjoyed being dominated almost as much as Chris enjoyed dominating.

JC stood and stretched, allowing the tight shirt to rise up a bit. “I’m too good for you.”

“Bitch,” Chris said, roughly pulling JC to him. They kissed, and JC began to move backwards. He stopped when his backside hit his kitchen table. With one swoop of his arm, everything on the table went crashing to the floor, and Chris had to laugh. JC wrestled out of his shirt, then bent over the table. His nimble fingers undid the fly of the leather pants, and he ever so slowly slid them down his long legs. Chris gulped as he looked at the beautiful sight before him.

“You just gonna window shop, or are you gonna buy,” JC said, shaking his hips slightly.

“Damn,” Chris whispered. He went to the drawer JC kept especially for these sort of occasions, and yanked out the lubricant and condom.

“I don’t have all year,” JC said, slowly bringing one foot up to rest on the table.

“Fuck.” Chris fumbled with the condom and managed to slather on some lubricant before getting back to JC. His fingers were clumsy as they worked into JC, but he didn’t seem to mind. “SO good,” Chris panted as he slid inside. One hand rested on JC’s waist while the other wove through his long hair.

“It’s…about…time…” JC grunted as Chris thrust inside.

“Who’s my good little kitty now, huh?” Chris asked, licking a path up JC’s spine.

“Chris…that’s so good…” JC moaned, clutching at the edge of the table.

“Not bad for an old man, right?” Chris said through clenched teeth.

“Not old…just…mature…” JC managed.

The phone rang and they both stared at it. “You will NOT answer that,” Chris ordered.

“Never,” JC promised, closing his eyes.

The phone continued to ring, and they soon heard JC’s voice on his answering machine. Then a quivering voice said. “JC, this is Justin.”

“I’ll kill that brat,” Chris snapped. “Doesn’t he realize that you were born to be fucked tonight?”

“It’s…God…Lance. I mean, he’s fine, but he’s not. I mean, he’s not DEAD or anything, just passed out. He said…I think something happened to him, JC. When he was in school. Someone did something to him, and that guy was a jock, and that’s why he hates me. But he wanted to suck me and he said he wanted me. And we all know that can’t happen, I mean, first of all, he’s LANCE, and then there’s the whole frat thing, and…I’m sorry. I’m babbling. I’ll probably get cut off by your machine and…”

Justin’s voice ended in the beep of the machine. Chris actually stopped moving and panted for breath. JC turned his head and looked at him. “I know,” Chris said, slowly pulling out. “I’m not in the mood anymore, anyway. Damn kids.”

JC went to the bathroom, cleaned himself up, pulled on a pair of jeans, and then called Justin back.

 

They met Justin at a twenty-four hour diner. He had on a tight black tshirt and blue jeans and looked exhausted. “Did I interrupt anything?” Justin asked. “I mean, I didn’t really expect you to call me back this late.”

“Uh, no,” JC said quickly, glancing at Chris. “We’re fine.”

“So what exactly happened?” Chris asked.

“We danced, and then he wanted to go to his room and talk. And then all of a sudden he’s ALL over me, wanting to, you know, blow me, and talking about getting rid of me years ago, but I’m back. I think he started confusing me with this Jeremy guy.”

The waitress came to the table. They all ordered coffee, and JC ordered a muffin. “Go on,” JC said.

“He said something about all jocks being the same…and that they all just want the little fag to suck them. He said he loved this guy…and then he started to cry!” Justin looked miserable. “I felt so bad for him.”

“And you said he mentioned wanting you?” JC asked softly. Justin blushed.

“Yeah.”

“How do you feel?” Chris asked suddenly.

“I…well…” Justin stammered.

“We’re not gonna tell anyone, J,” JC said soothingly.

“I really like him. I mean, he’s not like anyone I ever met. Even though he’s mean to me and stuff…I really admire him. He’s smart and organized and everything I’m not. And he’s hot, too…in an understated way.”

“He wasn’t understated tonight,” Chris said, and JC smacked him.

“Did you two…” JC waved a hand.

“No! I didn’t even let him finish the blowjob. I stood him up, and then he all but passed out. I barely got him into bed!”

“Lance never could hold his liquor,” JC said.

“This could be so weird.” Justin buried his face in his hands.

“Let him come to you about this,” Chris said, stirring cream into his coffee. “I wouldn’t mention it to him. Let him think it never happened. Obviously he’s repressing some serious shit. You reminded him of this guy, which is why he never liked you. But, obviously, he DOES like you, which is causing him even more inner turmoil. Add to that the fact that you’re not supposed to date within the fraternity…”

“Would you date him, Justin?” JC asked.

“Yeah,” Justin said. “Though I don’t think he’d want to. I’m a dumbass compared to Lance.”

“Everyone’s a dumbass compared to Lance,” JC said with a smile.

“Just hang in there, Kid,” Chris said encouragingly. “It will all work out.”

“Whatever,” Justin moaned, reaching over and stealing some of JC’s muffin.


	17. Chapter 17

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Seventeen

 

Lance opened his eyes and blinked hard. As he focused on the clock, he was surprised to see that it was almost noon. His lips smacked at the cotton in his mouth and he slowly sat up. He looked down and saw that he was still in his costume. When he rubbed his eyes, eyeliner smudged his knuckles. Lance groaned, wondering how he had even made it to his bed if he had been too drunk to remove the makeup.

Lance opened his bedroom door and stumbled out, running smack into Nick Carter. “God, Lance, I’m sorry!” Nick gasped.

“Shh,” Lance commanded. Nick grinned.

“You WERE hitting the bottle kinda hard last night,” Nick said. “You okay?”

“I may never be okay again,” Lance said. “I need to go throw up.”

“Okay. On THAT note…” Nick backed away. “I’ll see you later.”

“Later,” Lance whispered, making a beeline for the bathroom.

 

Lance managed to get a shower and pull on sweats before making his way downstairs. A few of the brothers were loudly watching a football game on TV, so Lance avoided the rec room. He started water for tea and sat down at the kitchen table.

“Hey,” a soft voice said from the doorway.

“Hey,” Lance said, looking up at Justin. Justin was biting at his bottom lip as he leaned against the wall. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah. Are you?”

“Please. No faked concern, okay? I can’t handle it.” Lance cradled his head in his hands.

“It’s not faked. You look like shit.” Justin sat down across from Lance.

“Thank you SO much,” Lance said sarcastically. The water came to a boil and Justin poured it in a mug over Lance’s teabag. He handed Lance the mug and sat back down. “God, I need to NEVER drink again.”

“You definitely weren’t yourself,” Justin said, carefully watching Lance.

“Well, that’s what Halloween is all about, right? Being someone else?” Lance stirred sugar into his tea. “I don’t think I like being someone else.”

“So…” Justin said nervously.

“WHAT is your problem, Justin? You look petrified. What did I do…kick your ass last night?” Lance asked, trying to smile.

“Don’t you remember anything?” Justin asked, shocked.

“No. I remember dancing with you, and then I woke up. Did you put me to bed?” Lance was mortified, wondering what had happened.

“Yeah,” Justin said honestly. “I did. After we danced.”

“Okay,” Lance said, relieved.

“I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.” Justin got up and left the kitchen.

 

“Hmm?”

“Jayce?”

“Lance?” JC said, clearly more awake.

“Were you sleeping? I’m sorry,” Lance said. “It’s after two, and I thought you’d be up.”

“We had a late night,” JC said.

“Horny little kitten,” Lance said, grinning.

“Yeah,” JC said vaguely. “How are YOU?”

“Hungover like never before. Please don’t let me drink again. Justin Timberlake actually had to put me to bed. How embarrassing.”

“Anything else about Justin?”

“What did I do? JC!”

“Nothing, Lance,” JC lied. “Just wonder if you were ready to admit your big crush now that you’re hungover.”

“I don’t have a crush on him!” Lance insisted, then winced. “Ow.”

“Okay, Lance. I’m not gonna argue with you. Just do me a favor, okay? Forget everything you don’t like about him. Forget everything in him that reminds you of whatever makes you hate him. Just try and like him for his good points, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because he deserves it,” JC said, and hung up.


	18. Chapter 18

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Eighteen

 

Three weeks passed, and everyone started talking about going home for Thanksgiving. Lance wasn’t really looking forward to going home; relations with his parents had never really gone back to normal after he had admitted that he was gay. They put on a good front, especially around the holidays, but he knew that they were severely disappointed in him. It was one of the many reasons that he busied himself in schoolwork and activities and did not look for a relationship. He knew that if he told them he had a boyfriend, they would probably have joint heart attacks.

“Hey.” Justin knocked on Lance’s open bedroom door. “Did you hear? We have a meeting this afternoon at four.”

“For what?” Lance looked up from his textbook and blushed. He had been tapping his pencil on his notebook and staring at the text, but he hadn’t been looking at the words. He had only seen Justin’s handsome face on the page. Lately he couldn’t get Justin out of his head, and it was driving him crazy. Something had been needling him in the back of his brain, and he just couldn’t figure it out. Justin had pretty much been avoiding him anyway, for some odd reason, but it didn’t help.

“I don’t know.” Justin shrugged. “Matthew just said that we needed to be there or else.”

“Odd,” Lance said, and Justin nodded.

“So…” Justin leaned in the doorway. “You ready for a vacation?”

“Kinda.” Lance leaned back in his chair, feeling unusually talkative. “I’m ready for a big Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I hear that. I am dying for some of my mom’s cooking. She’s the best cook in the South.”

“No, I think that’s MY mom,” Lance argued with a grin.

“You’re not ready to hang with the family all that time, though, am I right?” Justin asked, seeing through what Lance hadn’t said.

“Yeah.” Lance drew lines on his notebook. “Another fun vacation of my mother trying to get me a girlfriend.”

“My home address is on the board downstairs,” Justin said. “If you want to, come visit me. My mom would LOVE to have you. She’s still kinda getting used to the whole bisexual thing, but you’re JUST the type of boy she’d want me to bring home.”

“Really?” Lance blushed.

“Sure. You’re cute and smart and a good boy.” It was Justin’s turn to blush. “So, yeah. Meeting this afternoon.” Justin darted out of the room before Lance could say anything more.

 

“Okay, guys, thanks for showing up on such short notice.” Matthew looked around the rec room. “One of the brothers has asked for this meeting. I know why, but I’ll let him tell you.” He turned around. “AJ?”

Lance looked up in surprise as AJ took center stage. His usually confident friend actually looked nervous. “So, uh, yeah. I’m just letting y’all know that I’m moving out. Of the house. Of the frat.”

“You’re what?” Nick’s mouth dropped open.

“I love you guys. You know that. But there’s a rule of the frat that I can’t stand abiding by anymore. And instead of breaking it, I want to leave altogether.”

“Aje,” Lance began.

“Don’t, Lance. This is hard enough as it is. I love you guys, and I’ll be around campus. I’m staying with a friend for this semester, and then I’ll try to find somewhere to stay next semester.” AJ sat down without saying anymore. A few of the guys walked up to him and talked, but Lance hung back, knowing AJ would come to him when he was ready.

Later that evening, Lance decided to go to AJ’s room to see if he needed help packing his things. As he approached AJ’s room, he heard AJ talking to someone else.

“What did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to go out with me some night.”

Lance couldn’t help but peek through the crack of the open door. He saw Nick Carter sitting on AJ’s bed. AJ stood before him. “You can’t ask me out.”

“Why not? I’m no longer a member of the frat.” AJ smiled, but Lance could tell he was nervous as all hell.

“You…” A light seemed to blink over Nick’s head. “You quit the frat just to ask me out?”

“Sure.”

“What if I say no?”

“Then I move on and get a new life outside of the frat,” AJ said, shrugging. “Once you’re out, they’re not real keen on letting you back in without making you jump through hoops.”

“You quit to ask me out,” Nick repeated.

“So…are you gonna answer me?” AJ asked.

“Yes. I mean, yes, I’ll answer you. I mean, yes, my answer is yes,” Nick stuttered. AJ’s bright grin flashed out.

“Cool.”

Lance crept away, deep in thought.


	19. Chapter 19

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Nineteen

 

“So…what do you want to drink?” JC asked as he and Chris walked into the pub. “I’ll buy the first round.”

“Just get me a beer,” Chris said vaguely. “I’ll grab us that booth.”

JC went to the bar as Chris got their table. They were out for dinner at a gay-friendly pub named Tom Collins. It was in the next town over, and they were pretty sure no one they knew would be there. JC soon came to Chris, carrying a beer and a mixed drink. He handed Chris the beer, sat down, and opened his menu. “I’m starving for something fried and totally bad for me,” JC said.

“Uh-huh.” Chris took a huge swallow of his beer. JC stared at him.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine. I’m starving.” Chris stared at the menu.

They placed their order and JC toyed with the tiny straw in his drink. “So…Thanksgiving’s right around the corner.”

“You get an A in Calendar,” Chris said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his dark eyes.

“Ha ha. I was wondering what you were doing.”

“When?” Chris said evasively.

“Thanksgiving,” JC said, enunciating slowly. “I thought I got you a beer, not some kind of mind-altering drug.”

“Oh, Thanksgiving. Well, I’ll probably go hang with my mom and sisters for the day, but I usually just veg at home during the vacation. Catch up on sleep and all that.”

“Would you be interested in going to Maryland?” JC asked quietly.

“What’s in Maryland?” Chris tapped his fingers on the table and looked around the room.

“Me and my family, silly.” JC stared at Chris, wondering what was going on.

Chris’ fingers stopped tapping. “You want me to come home with you?”

“Yeah. Is that so odd? I mean, we’ve been seeing each other for a while and…”

“It’s just pretty serious, JC. I didn’t think…”

“You didn’t think we were that serious?” JC asked in a tiny voice. A basket of fried shrimp and French fries was placed in front of him and he didn’t even notice. “Chris…what’s going on?”

“I just…whoa, JC.” Chris looked everywhere but at JC. “I’m your professor.”

“And I thought that didn’t matter.” JC got unusually angry. “It sure doesn’t matter to you when you have me bent over a piece of furniture, does it?”

“Hey,” Chris said, insulted. “It’s not like THAT. I was going to talk to you about this anyway. I was planning on having this discussion in a quieter place, sometime before you go home.”

“Oh, so it was just ME going home anyway. I didn’t even have to ask you.” JC slammed back his drink. “I need more to drink.”

JC leaned against the bar as he waited, trying not to cry. He was angry, but he was hurt more than he was angry. He had assumed that Chris had felt as strongly as he had. They had a wonderful time together, no matter what they were doing. The word “love” had not been said out loud, but JC had felt it every time he looked at Chris.

“Hey there.” JC looked at the tall man next to him. He had incredible green eyes and long dark hair. “You look upset. You okay?”

“Yeah.” JC blushed and looked down at the bar. He wore a pair of low-riding jeans and a tight t-shirt with music notes on it, and he felt as if this stranger could see right through it all.

“Boyfriend troubles?” The man asked sympathetically.

“Well, uh, yeah,” JC said.

“Sorry to hear that.” The man smiled. “Both for you AND for me. You have a boyfriend.”

“I think I do,” JC said before he thought. The bartender brought his drink and he reached for his wallet.

“Allow me.” The stranger tossed some bills onto the bar. “I hope your night improves.”

“Thank you. For the drink and for…whatever.” JC blushed and turned away, heading back to Chris. Chris was staring out the window, and barely looked at JC when he sat.

“So…can we eat and then go talk about this?” Chris asked, finally looking at JC. Chris’ brown eyes were unreadable. “I’m not trying to hurt you, JC. I just have been thinking about some things and we need to talk.”

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been sort of distant lately, but I didn’t think you were breaking up with me,” JC said sadly. He chewed on a French fry but didn’t taste it.

“I NEVER said I was breaking up with you!” Chris hissed. “I am NOT talking about this here!”

“Then let’s not talk at all.” JC dug into his shrimp.

“Well, Christopher.” Chris and JC looked up. Both of their mouths dropped open as they looked at the tall man with the green eyes. He smiled at JC, and then looked at Chris. “Your taste just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?”

“It definitely improved once you and I were through,” Chris snapped.

“I was the exception, you see. Chris is ALL about much younger men. Are you a student at the university?” The man asked JC. JC nodded, and saw Chris wince. “Christopher…isn’t that a no-no?”

“Kevin, go away,” Chris snapped. “We’re eating.”

“I see.” Kevin smiled at JC again. “So…Chris is the boyfriend you think you have?”

“What?” Chris asked.

“I…” JC shrugged and looked confused. Kevin laughed.

“My name is Kevin Richardson. I live right around the corner from this place, and I’m in the book. If you want an older man who knows how to treat his man…you call, okay?” Kevin finished his beer and sauntered out of the pub.

“He’s your ex-boyfriend?” JC asked.

“You talked about me with him? How do you KNOW him?”

“He bought me my drink at the bar!” JC said defensively. “He was just there and we talked for a bit.”

“Great.” Chris buried his face in his hands. “Can this night get ANY worse?”

“You are into younger men?” JC asked. “Do you date a student EVERY semester, Chris?”

“When we were in college, I liked younger guys, okay? Kevin and I hooked up when we were in school together. And I have NEVER hooked up with a student before you, JC. You’re special,” Chris promised. “I mean that.”

“Let’s just talk now and get it over with,” JC said. “You spring all this shit on me outta nowhere…”

“I just think this is getting kinda crazy. I mean…me meeting your parents, JC? I’m your professor. That makes it look so…wrong.”

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?” JC asked.

“A week or so, yes. I’m so tired of sneaking around.”

“Chris, the semester will be over before we know it. Then it won’t matter!”

“But I’ll always be a professor here.”

“I’m a grad student, Chris. That’s so different than an underclassman. And if this bothered you so much, why did you even let it start?”

“I didn’t think it WOULD bother me. I just…it makes me look like some sort of dirty old man.”

“No, Chris.” JC stood. “I’M the one feeling dirty and used here. You got weeks of good sex, so now you’re moving on?”

“Jayce…”

“Don’t say anything else.” JC angrily wiped at a tear. “I’m outta here.”


	20. Chapter 20

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty

 

Lance spent the evening after the meeting trying to call JC, but he kept getting JC’s machine. JC wasn’t in the dining hall the next morning, or outside any of the classes that Lance knew he was supposed to have that day. He was worried, but figured that Chris would have contacted him if something serious had occurred. He finally tried one last place where JC often hung out.

He heard classical music wafting from the open door of the art studio and smiled. JC’s other passion beside music was art. He was a fairly good painter, and often spent hours in the studio. The art teachers kept trying to get him to change his major and get more involved in painting, but he insisted that music was his one true love and real talent.

Lance peeked into the large room. JC was alone in the room, standing in front of an easel. Lance couldn’t see the canvas. “Hey,” Lance called, walking into the room.

“Hi.” JC didn’t look up. “I’m kinda busy here.”

“Can I see what you’re working on?”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” JC almost snapped, and Lance blinked in surprise.

“Must be a nude of Chris or something,” Lance teased, and JC gave him an icy stare. Lance noticed something strange in JC’s blue eyes, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Is there something you wanted?”

“You wouldn’t BELIEVE what happened yesterday at the house,” Lance said, trying to ignore JC’s odd behavior.

“I really don’t have time for your little frat tales, Lance,” JC said. “I said I’m busy.”

“It’s totally amazing. It all happened and it was like a soap opera,” Lance continued, still determined to ignore JC’s mood swing.

“Let me guess.” JC put down his paintbrush and crossed his arms. “You finally realized that you want Justin Timberlake, and you gave him a REAL blow job this time, instead of a drunken attempt like last time.”

Lance stumbled back, almost falling over a table. He put his hand down into a palette of paint and didn’t even notice. “What?”

JC looked momentarily ashamed, but didn’t apologize. “You heard me. Is that what happened?”

“JC…what are you talking about? Why are you acting like this?”

“I’m not in the best of moods today, Lance. My world has fucking fallen apart, okay?”

“What did you mean about me and Justin?” Lance’s green eyes were huge.

“Lance, I don’t have time for this. Go ask him. I’m sure he’ll tell you everything.” JC turned back to his painting and Lance started to leave the room. “Oh…by the way?” JC called over his shoulder. “You told him about Jeremy.”

 

“God!” Justin dropped his books as he walked into his room. “Lance! You scared the shit outta me! Dave’s in class, and I knew the room would be empty.” As a new member of the frat, Justin had to share a bedroom.

“The door was open,” Lance said quietly. He was on Justin’s bed, sitting cross-legged.

“Are you okay?” Justin picked up his books and put them on the desk. He shut the door. “You look sick.”

“I feel kinda ill, yes,” Lance said. Justin swallowed nervously.

“What…what did you want to talk to me about?”

“The night of the Halloween party.”

“Oh, that.” Justin sat down on his roommate’s bed. “What about it?”

“I came on to you?”

“Well…” Justin had the decency to blush. “You did.”

“And what did you do?”

“Made you stop. Tucked you into bed. Left,” Justin said truthfully.

“God.” Lance rubbed at his eyes, fighting tears of embarrassment. “How awful.”

“You were drunk, Lance. And hey, how could you really resist me, right?” Justin tried to tease. Lance didn’t look at him.

“I told you something. Something I’ve never told anyone.”

“Not REALLY,” Justin said. “You thought I was someone else.”

“Jeremy.” Lance stared into space.

“Lance, it sounds like this dude totally used you. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I never said it WAS my fault,” Lance snapped. “I just…don’t like to remember it.”

“But you do every time you look at me, it seems,” Justin said. “You…you said you wanted me.”

“I was drunk,” Lance said quickly.

“Oh,” Justin said, and Lance almost thought he seemed disappointed.

“Well, now you know why I’ve been such an ass to you,” Lance said. “I apologize. You’re not him, and I know that.”

“I would never use you,” Justin said softly, and Lance looked at him. “Really.” There was so much Justin wanted to say. He wanted to tell Lance how much he respected him, for the great person that he was. But there was no way he could do that. Not now.

“Thank you.” Lance stood. “I just needed to find out what went on that night. If I’m weird around you for a while…”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be home on break, anyway,” Justin reminded him. “If you don’t mind me asking…what made you remember that night?”

“I still don’t remember it,” Lance admitted. “JC told me.”

“JC?” Justin gasped. “I never thought he’d tell you!”

“He was a real dick to me, actually,” Lance said. “He was pretty mean.”

“Why?”

“I have no clue.” Lance headed for the door. “But I don’t plan on talking to him for a while. Not after the way he acted today.”


	21. Chapter 21

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-One

 

“So…Jimmy…glad to be home?” Lance’s sister, Stacy, gave him a smacking kiss the instant she was in the house.

“Yeah, ecstatic,” Lance grumbled. “And stop calling me Jimmy.”

“Sorry, sweets, but you’ll never be ‘Lance’ to me. You’re Jimmy.” She gave him her sweetest smile and bounced off to hug their mother.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Lance,” Stacy’s husband Ford said, shaking Lance’s hand.

“Yeah, you, too,” Lance said. He tried to smile, but already the house seemed to be shrinking. He had tried to make himself excited about going home by trying to imagine all the good food he’d get for Thanksgiving, but even that hadn’t been enough.

“James, come in here and dish the potatoes, please!” His mother called. Lance ambled into the kitchen. “It’s not like you to disappear when there’s work to be done,” Diane Bass scolded.

“I didn’t disappear, Mama. I was opening the door for Stace and Ford,” Lance contradicted.

“Don’t talk back to your mother, James,” Jim Bass said, exiting the kitchen with the turkey. Lance sighed and said nothing more.

 

“So, Lance, do you have any plans while you’re home?” Ford asked over the pumpkin pie. “Meeting up with friends or anything?”

“Maybe,” Lance said, sighing. He felt like saying he didn’t HAVE friends anymore. He hadn’t talked to JC since that day in the art room, and he had pretty much hermited himself away from everyone in the fraternity. All AJ could talk about was Nick and their first date, and he wasn’t around the house anymore, anyway. Talking to Justin made Lance feel nervous and uncomfortable, so that left him alone.

“You know who I saw at the market yesterday?” Diane said, putting down her coffee cup. “Leslie Simmons! Her daughter Julie is home from college…she goes to the University of Georgia, you know.”

“Yes, Mama, you’ve mentioned that a few hundred times,” Lance said tiredly.

“I think Julie’s having a party tonight. I’m sure she’d love to see you,” Diane continued as if Lance had never spoken.

“Mama, I am NOT crashing a party.”

“It’s not crashing, James! You two were such good friends, I’m sure she’d love to see you. Leslie said Julie just broke up with her boyfriend and…”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Lance broke in quickly, “but no, Mama. First of all, Julie Simmons and I haven’t been friends since the seventh grade, when we BOTH discovered boys. And secondly, you know I’m not looking for a girl, Mama.”

“I thought you would have outgrown that by now,” Diane said with a sigh.

“Kinda hard to outgrow it when he’s living in a house full of gay men,” Jim snapped.

“Dad, you know it’s not like that. You make it sound like an eternal orgy.”

“James!” Diane gasped.

“Well, he does, Mama! And as a matter of fact, I’m dating someone,” Lance blurted out.

Diane gasped and Jim turned red. “Really, Lance?” Stacy asked in a shaking voice. She tried to understand, which Lance was grateful for. “What’s, uh, his name?”

“His name is Justin and he’s on the basketball team,” Lance said, grabbing the first name that came to mind. “And as a matter of fact, I’m due to be calling him right now.” Lance stood up.

“We took the phone out of your room,” Jim said gruffly. “You weren’t here, and the one in the study stopped working. So you’ll have to call from the study.”

“Fine,” Lance sighed, going up to his room. He dug through his backpack and found the list of members of the fraternity. Normally, in a situation like this, he would call JC, who would commiserate with him. But he couldn’t call JC.

Lance quickly memorized Justin’s number and headed back downstairs. He really didn’t plan on calling, until he overheard his mother in the dining room. “I wish he’d just get over this…thing. He needs to find a nice girl.”

“He wants a nice BOY, Mama,” Stacy said. “And maybe this Justin is nice.”

Lance went into the study and stared at the phone. He finally picked it up and dialed. Just as someone answered, he heard footsteps in the hall outside the study. “Um, hi,” he said, recognizing Justin’s voice. He prayed Justin would recognize him as well. He couldn’t explain why he’d have to identify himself to his supposed boyfriend.

“Lance?” Justin said in surprise. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

“Happy Thanksgiving to you, too,” Lance said, sighing with relief. “I said I’d call, you know, so I’m calling.”

“You said you’d call?” Justin asked, confused.

Lance watched the shadow in the hallway. “You know…isn’t that what you do when you’re dating? Call the person you care about on a holiday, wish them a nice day, all that?”

“Dating? Lance…” Justin interrupted himself. “Oh, I see. Parents?”

“You always did see right through me,” Lance said quickly.

“Trying to hook you up with the cutest girl on the cheerleading squad?” Justin asked, sighing.

“In the drama club, actually,” Lance said. Justin laughed.

“So, should I talk dirty to you now?”

Lance blushed, but smiled. “If you want to talk dirty to me, Justin, you go right ahead!” He watched the shadow in the hallway stumble forward slightly, and then he heard soft footsteps walk away. “Thank you so much,” Lance whispered. “They’ve been annoying the hell outta me and I suddenly said I was dating someone and your name just slipped out.”

“It’s okay,” Justin said. “You could come here for the weekend.”

“Are you serious?”

“Sure. My mom loves to have my friends over. And she’d pretend you were my boyfriend, if you wanted. Believe me, she’d LOVE for me to date someone like you.”

“Uh…uh…” Lance tried to imagine being in Justin’s home, down the hall from where Justin slept. “No, thanks. I may go back to school early, though. I need some time to think about some stuff.”

“I know the feeling. Listen, Lance, call anytime, okay? I’m here for ya.”

“Thanks, Justin.” Lance hung up, feeling even more confused.


	22. Chapter 22

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Two

 

Lance kicked at the sidewalk, occasionally connecting with a stone or twig. The campus was unusually quiet, but it was still the Thanksgiving holiday. Very few students were back on campus, and Lance was glad to have the huge fraternity house all to himself. Thanksgiving had been a nightmare, and he was already dreading Christmas break. He knew that he was still allowing his parents to push him around, but he was too afraid of the consequences. He needed to just stand up to them, firmly announce that he was and always would be gay, and then face whatever they threw at him. He didn’t think they’d stop loving him or anything, but he was pretty sure they’d do something serious, like throw him out of the house. He had never been anything but an attribute to them, something they could hold up to other parents, but this entire situation was freaking them out. No one else’s children were gay, and they didn’t know how to react.

Lance looked up as he walked past the arts building. He saw what looked like the back of JC’s head entering the building, but he didn’t call out. He was still incredibly hurt at the way JC had acted towards him, and he didn’t know what had caused it. It was kind of ironic…he had never thought he would consider Justin Timberlake a friend, but Justin had helped him while he was home. And he had NEVER thought JC would ever turn on him the way he had.

Lance bumped into someone and apologized. He smiled when he saw who it was. “Hey, Chris, sorry. I was off somewhere.”

“Hey, Lance.” Chris blushed and looked away.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. How are you? What are you doing here?” Chris asked quickly.

“Well…things didn’t go well at home, and I couldn’t be there a minute longer. Justin asked me to come to him, but I couldn’t,” Lance said. “How about you?”

“Things were boring, you know, at home, so here I am, ready for school to start again!” Chris said, sounding suspiciously like he was babbling.

“I, uh, just saw JC go into the building, I think,” Lance said, pointing to the door.

“Okay,” Chris said, looking at him strangely. “He didn’t tell you?”

“I haven’t talked to JC since before the holiday,” Lance admitted. “He acted like a total asshole…no offense to your boyfriend and all.”

“Lance, he’s not my boyfriend anymore,” Chris said. “I thought he would have told you.”

“What?” Lance gasped.

“We…uh…yeah. Look, I gotta go. I’ll see you around.” Chris darted away before Lance could say anything more.

 

Lance’s phone rang, causing him to jump. He had been sitting on his bed, a book in front of him. He had read the same sentence three times before staring into space, wondering about JC. He wondered why they had broken up, and why JC couldn’t talk to him about it.

“Hello?”

“Lance,” a voice said through a crackling cell phone. “This is Justin.”

“Hey,” Lance said surprised. “Where are you?”

“Freeway on my way from the airport,” Justin said. “In a cab.”

“Why?”

“I thought I’d beat the rush, come back early,” Justin said.

“Oh,” Lance said. Then he sighed. “I’m really glad you’re back, Justin. I need to talk to someone.”

 

“JC and Chris broke up?” Justin asked, flopping on Lance’s bed. “Are you SURE?”

“Chris told me himself,” Lance said. “But I can’t believe JC didn’t say anything to me. We’re like best friends.”

“I can see him not telling me, or something, but you? That’s odd. I guess he was just hurting.”

“That doesn’t give him the right to hurt me,” Lance mumbled. He looked at Justin. “How did you know to call me here?”

“I figured you’d probably come back early, but I called your house. Your mom about freaked when I gave my name,” Justin said with a grin. “Thank God I didn’t have to ask where you were…I mean, I’m your boyfriend, right, so I should have known you’d come back early.”

“Yeah.” Lance turned pink.

“Have you ever had one?” Justin asked, changing the subject from JC. “A boyfriend, I mean.”

“No,” Lance said softly. “Never.”

“Me either. I think I want one, though. Girls are cool and all, but I’d love a steady relationship with a guy.” Justin picked up Lance’s pillow and began tossing it up and down.

“Anyone in mind?” Lance asked, trying to tease. He was little by little becoming more comfortable with Justin.

Justin caught the pillow. “Yes,” Justin said quietly, and gave Lance an intense stare. He stood and walked to where Lance was sitting at his desk. Lance immediately got up and went to sit on the bed. Justin followed him. “I was worried about you,” Justin said. “You sounded so upset at your parents’ house.”

“I was.” Lance wondered why his hands were shaking. “You were worried?”

“I was,” Justin said, mimicking Lance. He put a hand on Lance’s knee. “You’re shaking.”

“I…”

“You’re scared of me?”

“Yes. No. Uh…”

“Me, too,” Justin said. He looked at Lance and leaned forward. Lance couldn’t stop himself from leaning towards Justin, and he didn’t hear the sigh he released as they kissed.


	23. Chapter 23

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Three

 

Lance finally put a hand on Justin’s chest and gently pushed him away. “Whoa,” Justin whispered, leaning his forehead against Lance’s.

“Yeah,” Lance said, then stood up. “That can’t happen again.”

“Why not?” Justin looked up at him, his blue eyes wide. His pink lips were full and “just been kissed,” and Lance wanted to keep kissing them. “Are you still thinking about…”

“No. This has nothing to do with him.” Lance began to pace. “We can’t do this Justin. We’re frat brothers, number one. And number two…I just don’t do that.”

“Just don’t do what?” Justin was confused.

“I just don’t go around kissing people.”

“Neither do I,” Justin said, slightly insulted. “Notice how I said I don’t have a boyfriend? I don’t have a kissing friend, either.”

“Sorry.” Lance ran a hand through his hair. “Look, Justin, you’re a great guy. Sexy and nice and funny and talented. But you and I…we’re night and day. This can’t work out.”

“Right.” Justin stood and looked at him sadly. “We wouldn’t work out.”

“Right,” Lance said, nodding. Justin sighed. “I appreciate you coming back early to check on me and everything.”

“Sure, no problem. That’s what friends do. We ARE friends, right?” Justin asked.

“Sure!” Lance plastered on a smile, which faded the moment Justin left his room.

 

Classes started again, and Lance could barely keep his mind on them. All he could think about was Justin. He and Justin tried their best to avoid each other, but with all the frat activities, it was kind of difficult.

Lance was walking across the quad in his own little world when loud voices shocked him out of his reverie.

“Oh, isn’t that cute? Little rainbow stickers!” A voice said.

Lance looked up and saw three members of one of the sports teams encircling a tall, thin figure. JC. “Give that back,” JC said with a patient sigh. “It’s a notebook. You know, you take notes in it when you go to class? Oh, yeah…I bet you Neanderthals don’t even GO to class.”

“If we don’t, it’s to avoid little fairies like you,” one of the men sneered.

Before he knew what he was doing, Lance approached the group. He was tired of everything, and that included getting picked on. Even though JC had acted like an asshole, and even though it wasn’t Lance getting picked on, he was fed up. “I wonder sometimes why we are gay, when I see guys like you,” Lance said as he walked over. “You’re not all that attractive, you don’t have three brain cells to rub together, and I bet your dicks are the size of erasers.”

“Hey!” Another man said.

“We could kick your ass,” the first man said.

“Is that REALLY what you want to do to my ass, Big Boy?” Lance asked with a flirtatious smile. The man blushed and sputtered. “Come on, JC. You can buy me a cup of coffee.” Lance grabbed JC by the skinny wrist and led him away.

“Damn!” JC stared at Lance open mouthed. “Who are you?”

“I’m not sure,” Lance said, weakly leaning against the wall of the cafeteria. “I just…I got fed up and had to say something.”

“Dumb jocks,” JC said, glaring in their general direction.

“Not all jocks are dumb,” Lance said, and JC stared at him. “Nevermind. You can buy me my coffee now.”

“Lance,” JC began.

“Dammit, JC, shut up and buy the coffee. THEN you can grovel.”

JC and Lance took a seat in a corner of the room.


	24. Chapter 24

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Four

 

“Well, it’s, uh…” Lance began.

“Comfy,” JC finished for him, setting down a box. “Very cozy.”

“That means small,” AJ said with a laugh. “Relax, guys. I know it’s a dump.”

Lance surveyed AJ’s tiny apartment. It was all he could find at the last minute, and it wasn’t in the most attractive part of the college town. But it was cheap, and it was right near a bus stop. “We can make it better,” Lance said. “JC will whip up some curtains or a rug or something, and…”

“Who am I, Martha Stewart?” JC asked, shoving him. “Like I could do something like that.”

“Couldn’t you?” Lance asked.

“Well…” JC started looking around.

“Quit designing and grab some more boxes,” AJ ordered. “You can Queer Eye for a Bi Guy later.”

“Ha ha,” JC said, but he went down to the truck. Lance put a hand on AJ’s arm.

“Is this really worth it all, Aje?”

AJ wandered over to the window and opened it. “Yo, Blondie! You drop that box and I’ll kick your ass!”

“Yo, Dumbass! Shut up!” Nick yelled back. AJ laughed and blew him a kiss. He turned back around and smiled at Lance. The look on his face said it all.

“Absolutely worth it,” AJ replied, actually sighing.

Lance smiled back but didn’t say anything. They heard footsteps in the hallway, and Lance turned around, expecting to see JC. “Hi,” Lance said, surprised.

“Hey.” Justin held up a large box. “Uh, where?”

“Over there,” AJ said, vaguely pointing to a corner as he turned back to watch Nick.

“I didn’t know you were coming over,” Lance said, almost stammering.

“I knew Aje needed some help, so…” Justin said with a shrug.

Lance blushed. “He has a lot of crap. It’s mostly hats, though.”

“It is not,” AJ retorted. “Dammit, Carter!” He yelled. “I’ll be back.” AJ darted out of the room.

“So…” Lance ran a finger along the kitchen counter. “Uh…”

“It’s working for them,” Justin said, motioning around the room. “AJ and Nick.”

“Are you willing to give up the frat to try?” Lance asked. “We’re so different. I can’t give that up, Justin. It’s all that keeps me sane.”

“You’ll have to leave the frat someday,” Justin reminded him. “Or are you gonna be like JC and live vicariously through it even after graduation?”

“Don’t talk shit about JC,” Lance snapped.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Justin wiped at his forehead. “I just…this is hard for me, Lance. I’ve never had to work so hard for something I wanted.”

This amused Lance. He leaned against the wall. “Somehow that TOTALLY doesn’t surprise me.”

“That’s not what I meant. It’s not the whole, “I’m a hot jock, I get whatever I want” kinda thing. I guess I always went for the easy stuff. Things that were right in front of me. I never had to try. I want to try. With you.”

Justin walked towards Lance as he spoke. Lance swallowed deeply. Justin wore a simple sweatshirt and shorts, and looked gorgeous. “Aren’t…aren’t you cold?” Lance said. “It’s cold.”

“I sweat when I work hard.” The words were innocent, but suddenly all Lance could see was a sweaty, naked Justin.

“God,” Lance choked. He reached up to touch Justin’s cheek. It was dry, but he could almost taste the sweat.

“We shouldn’t do this,” Justin whispered. “Frat rules and all.”

“Right.” Lance nodded, but his hand moved to cup Justin’s jaw.

“And someone could walk in.”

“They could,” Lance barely got out as his lips met Justin’s. Justin’s hands slid down to grasp at Lance’s backside as their tongues dueled. Lance’s fingers danced up through Justin’s curls and they both sighed.

“Lance,” Justin whispered, his body pressing Lance back against the wall. “I want you so much.”

“Uh,” Lance grunted as Justin thrust against him. “I want you, too,” he finally admitted.

“I hope neighbors don’t mind noise,” they heard JC say in the hallway. “I’m sure the headboard will hit the wall now and then.”

“JC!” Nick whined, obviously embarrassed.

Justin pulled away at the same time Lance gave him a quick shove. Lance pretended to inspect the kitchen cabinets as Justin nonchalantly leaned against the wall. “Anything else?” Justin asked AJ as the three men entered the apartment.

“A couple boxes of CDs and DVDs,” AJ answered. Justin went out the door. AJ and Nick began playfully arguing about something as JC approached Lance.

“You two need to make up your minds,” JC said.

“What are you talking about?” Lance asked.

“Your lips look like a bee stung them, your face is red, and your eye is twitching. Either fall into bed with him or move to another school, babe.”

“I’ll fall into bed with Justin when YOU fall out of love with Chris,” Lance retorted. “Either that or when you go on a date with someone else.”

“As a matter of fact, I HAVE a date. Tomorrow night,” JC answered. Lance’s mouth fell open.

“A date, Jayce? With who?” AJ asked.

“A guy I met in a bar a few weeks back. His name is Kevin.”


	25. Chapter 25

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Five

 

“I was so glad when you called, JC,” Kevin said as they settled in at their table. They had met at an intimate restaurant in the town where Kevin lived. “Shocked, but glad.”

“I kinda shocked myself,” JC admitted, picking up the wine list.

“Allow me,” Kevin said as the waiter approached. He ordered the exact wine JC would have chosen, and the waiter nodded. “I guess I should have asked if that was okay,” Kevin said with a laugh.

“No. That sounds great,” JC said. It was kind of nice to be with someone who knew more about wine than just red, white or pink.

“So…I take it you and Chris broke up,” Kevin said, gracefully dropping his napkin in his lap.

“Uh…” JC said uncomfortably. Kevin held up a hand.

“Nevermind. That was pretty thoughtless. Sorry.”

JC looked around the restaurant. “I’ve never been here before.”

“Do you come out this way often?”

JC shrugged. “Now and then. I buy some sheet music at a store over here. Otherwise I normally don’t eat at places like this. Too expensive.”

“You deserve to be treated special now and then,” Kevin said, his green eyes dark. JC blushed.

The waiter arrived and poured their wine. Kevin tasted it and nodded, and the waiter left the bottle. “Excellent,” JC said, letting the liquid float across his tongue before swallowing.

“I’m glad you like it.” Kevin smiled at him. “So. Tell me about school.”

JC chatted a bit about his studies before the waiter returned to take their order. JC studied Kevin’s long fingers as they tapped on the edge of the menu. Everything about Kevin was the exact opposite of Chris. He was tall and serious, very reserved compared to Chris’ hyperactivity. But for some reason, this only made JC miss Chris more.

“I’m sorry if I’m babbling,” JC said a few moments later. “I’m into my work.”

“I understand.”

“What do you do?” JC asked.

“Well, I thought I wanted to be a psychologist, then I realized other people’s problems really bore me,” Kevin said with an arrogant smile. “I like studying the mind, but I couldn’t make it my life’s work. So…I went back to school, and now I’m in law school.”

“Impressive,” JC said, nodding.

Dinner went well, and for the most part JC was having a good time. But part of him realized that although he had thought he had wanted to go out with Kevin, another part of him realized that he was just doing it to try and get over Chris.

“Would you like to come back to my place for a drink?” Kevin asked as he paid the bill. JC had tried to pay, insisting that he had asked, but Kevin had refused.

“I don’t know,” JC said. “I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do. I like you, Kevin, but…”

“C’mon, JC. It’s not like I’m trying to make you move in with me or something like that. It’s a drink. Whatever happens, happens.”

JC looked up into Kevin’s handsome face. “Okay,” he said with a sigh.

 

Kevin’s apartment was small but very classy. It looked lived in, but at the same moment, it could have been photographed for a magazine spread. “Bourbon okay?” Kevin asked as he went to a tiny bar.

“Sure,” JC said, studying some paintings on the wall. Kevin brought him a glass and they sat on a sofa. JC sipped at his drink, then set it on a wooden coaster.

Kevin stretched an arm out along the back of the sofa, letting his hand rest on JC’s shoulder. “You’re gorgeous,” he said softly. “I don’t see how Kirkpatrick let you go.”

“Well, I wasn’t what he wanted,” JC said finally. “We didn’t see eye to eye on something.”

“Commitment?” Kevin asked, moving closer. JC nodded, surprised. Kevin nuzzled against JC’s neck before planting a kiss on his jawline. “I know. He wanted too much from me, too. I was way too young to be hooked onto a leash like that.”

JC turned his head quickly, and the kiss Kevin was trying to place on his lips landed on his cheek. “What?”

“He wanted us to be exclusive. I wasn’t interested,” Kevin said with a shrug.

“He WANTED to be an item?” JC gasped. Kevin nodded.

“Why?”

“He…ooooh…” JC almost growled. He tossed back the drink and stood. “Thank you, Kevin, for a very informative evening. You’re a nice guy, but…I’m in love with Chris.”

 

“Office hours from one to…” Chris said sleepily as he opened his door. His eyes widened. “Um, well, hi.”

“Hello.” JC shoved by Chris, leaving him in his pajama bottoms in the doorway of his apartment.

“JC, it’s after midnight,” Chris said. “Couldn’t this wait?”

“No. And it’s a freaking Saturday, Chris. Have a life.” JC began to pace. Chris shut the door and stared at him. “What the fuck, Chris?”

“Huh?” Chris ran a hand through his hair.

“You wanted forever with KEVIN, but not me?”

“How do you know what I wanted with Kevin?” Chris asked, then gasped. “You went out with KEVIN?”

“Yes, I did. I thought that maybe a date with a hot guy would make me forget you. Unfortunately, all I did was compare you to him and find him lacking in all kinds of ways.”

“Really? Like what?” Chris asked eagerly. JC glared at him and he stepped back.

“Anyway, he mentions that you had wanted to be exclusive with him. You didn’t with me? Kevin seems like an arrogant jerk ninety percent of the time, yet you were willing to be with him and him alone?” JC almost screeched.

“I was young and stupid,” Chris protested.

“What about NOW?”

“Now I’m old and stupid,” Chris said softly, and JC froze in mid-tirade. “I’m scared to death of how I feel about you, JC. Being teacher and student was only part of it. God, Josh, I would wake up happy to go to class because YOU’D be there.”

“You hurt me, Chris,” JC said. “You made me feel like an idiot for loving you.”

“I was afraid to ruin the dream,” Chris said. “You’re my dream, JC. I’m so sorry.”

“I still love you,” JC said quietly.

“I love you, too,” Chris said, and JC was surprised to see tears in his brown eyes. “Can you…can you forgive me?”

“Yes,” JC whispered, allowing himself to fall into Chris’ open arms.


	26. Chapter 26

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Six

 

“Shut that book right now,” JC ordered, breezing into Lance’s room without knocking.

“God, JC, scare me to death!” Lance gasped, almost knocking over his glass of water. He took off his glasses and stretched. “What time is it and what the hell are you doing here?”

“Seven-thirty and you need to get out of this room,” JC said, bouncing on the bed. “I thought we could grab some pizza before we go out.”

“Uh, go out?” Lance said, noticing JC’s clothes for the first time. He wore a tight pair of brown pants and a shirt with wild rainbow stripes. It would have looked idiotic on anyone but JC. “JC, finals start Monday.”

“Lance, today is Saturday. The Saturday before finals week. This is where we blow off all the mental steam, and, if you’re lucky, maybe we can get you blown in general,” JC said with a grin.

“JOSHUA CHASEZ!” Lance yelled, blushing. JC laughed and bounced again.

“Seriously, Lance, I know you. You’ve been hitting these books all week without remembering to eat. You need to go have some fun.”

“Where are you going?” Lance asked.

“We’re going to Sequins,” JC said.

Lance’s mouth fell open. “S-Sequins?” He stammered. “Who’s we?”

“Me and AJ and Nick and my boyfriend,” JC answered, laying back and putting his hands behind his head. Lance pounced, straddling JC’s waist and grabbing him by the shirt.

“BOYFRIEND?”

“Uh, is there something I should know here?” Nick poked his head in the door and grinned.

“No,” JC gasped. “Lance, maybe we need to get you a salad, not pizza. You weight a ton!”

“Fuck off,” Lance said.

“Okay, I’m outta here. Meet you downtown at nine, JC?” Nick asked.

“Yeah!” JC wheezed. “We’ll be there.”

“Boyfriend,” Lance repeated.

“Yes, dammit, but if you keep asphyxiating me, I’ll never get to introduce you!” JC shoved at Lance, who climbed off the bed.

“JC, I am NOT going to Sequins. I can’t believe you got NICK to go to Sequins. AJ…well…he fits in everywhere.” Lance returned to his desk. “I need to study.”

“Lance, you could practically write your textbooks by now.” JC grabbed the closest notebook and held it over his head. “If you don’t come along, I’ll tear it up.”

“JC!” Lance gasped. “That’s my hardest class!”

JC cheerfully whistled as he held the notebook in a threatening manner. “You’re coming along.”

“I can’t go to Sequins!” Lance whined. “JC…that’s where the flaming queens go. That’s where boys wear Daisy Duke shorts and grope each other. That’s where…”

“That’s where we’re going. And you’re coming along. We need a night to be out and proud, Lance, and we’re doing it tonight. We need to get you some sex.”

“What if I don’t want some sex?” Lance muttered.

“Then you’re dead.” JC got up and went to Lance’s closet. “Just because you won’t go after Justin the way you should…”

“Is Justin going with you?” Lance asked in what he hoped was a casual tone.

“These.” JC tossed out a pair of black jeans. “And I have a grey tank top.”

“Your tank top will be too tight!”

“Exactly,” JC said, grinning over his shoulder as he left the room.

 

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Lance grumbled, looking around the room. Some of the hottest men he had ever seen in his entire life were writhing on the dance floor. He felt uncomfortable, but at the same time it was all like a train wreck he couldn’t look away from.

“There he is!” JC yelled. He wiggled his way through the crowd to throw himself into the arms of a shorter man.

“Chris?” Lance gasped. “You two are back together? Since when?”

“Since the weekend AJ moved,” JC said, planting a smacking kiss on Chris’ cheek.

“Aren’t you worried about someone seeing you two together?” AJ asked. He looked as shocked as Lance.

“The semester is pretty much over,” Chris said, blushing slightly at the armful of sexy JC that he suddenly had.

“And here they don’t care,” JC added. “C’mon, Chris. Dance with me.”

“I don’t dance, JC.”

“Dance with me,” JC said, smiling suggestively as he moved towards the dance floor.

Chris heaved a sigh. “Well, someone needs to keep an eye on him.” He followed JC.

“Did you know about this?” AJ asked Lance.

“No way. Though he HAS looked really happy lately.”

“I’m glad,” Nick said. “They belong together.”

“Like us?” AJ asked. Nick blushed and ducked his head. “Dance with me, cutie.”

“I can’t dance like you,” Nick protested.

“Then just stand still. I’LL do all the dancing.” AJ tugged Nick out onto the dance floor.

Lance smiled and looked around the club. It was crowded, with a lot of students blowing off steam. A few of them gave him the eye, but he blushed and looked away. His eyes widened as he caught sight of one man in particular. He wore tight blue jeans and no shirt. His arms were above his head, and he seemed to be moving in his own little world. The flashing lights caught his curls and made them shine. Blue eyes moved to rest on Lance, and he saw the smile he loved. Lance swallowed deeply as Justin walked towards him. Without a word Justin took Lance by the hand and led him to the dance floor. Justin was sweaty as he pressed up against Lance, but Lance didn’t care. Before he knew it he was dancing with Justin, inhaling Justin’s sweaty scent.

Justin’s hands slid down to Lance’s backside, pulling him close as he nibbled on Lance’s earlobe. “Come with me?” Justin whispered. Lance could only nod.

He followed Justin down a dark hallway. They passed a few couples who Lance tried not to look at. Suddenly Justin had him back against the wall as his hands pushed at Lance’s jeans. “Justin…” Lance gasped.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long…this is the right time and place, Lance,” Justin whispered. “Let me…”

Lance’s hands fisted in Justin’s curls as the heat of Justin’s mouth surrounded him. He had never felt anything so warm and wet. He moaned, his head hitting the wall. “I’m…I’m sorry…” Lance gasped, releasing WAY too soon.

“It’s okay,” Justin murmured, standing back up. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, then leaned forward to kiss Lance’s cheek.

“I can’t do that…to you…” Lance whispered. The memory of Jeremy was still too strong.

“I don’t want you to do that,” Justin said. “Not until you’re ready.”

Lance really focused on Justin and realized all the fraternity rules they had broken. “I have to go.” Lance quickly buttoned his jeans.

“Lance, c’mon. Lighten up just this once,” Justin said.

“I can’t,” Lance said, remembering the safe haven that the fraternity had provided for him. “I need to leave.” Lance shoved by Justin and hurried back through the club.


	27. Chapter 27

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Seven

 

“Did you like everything you got, James?” Lance’s mother asked, hovering in the doorway of his bedroom. It was Christmas evening, and they had just finished a large supper.

“Yes, Mama. Thank you,” Lance said politely. He was on his window seat, staring out into the backyard.

“It’s dark, James. You can’t see anything,” she pointed out.

“I know, Mama.” Lance didn’t say that he wasn’t really looking at what was outside his window. His mind was hundreds of miles away, in Tennessee.

“How did your semester go?”

It was obvious that she expected to be asked to come in and sit down, but Lance wasn’t really in the mood for conversation with his mother. “Good. I’m thinking I’ll make the dean’s list again.”

“Excellent. We’re so proud of you, James.”

“Are you?” Lance turned around to face her dead on. She blushed slightly.

“Of course. You’re a good boy, who works hard. We can overlook your little fads, because…”

“It’s not a fad, Mama,” Lance said tiredly. “Look, I know what you want to happen, and it will NEVER happen. You want grandchildren…you can get them from Stace. I will never fall in love with a girl. I’ll never marry a girl. And I’ll never have a child, unless I decide to donate sperm or something.”

“James Lance!” Diane squeaked, turning bright red.

“I’m just trying to be honest with you, Mama. I wish you’d be honest with yourself. I love you and Dad, and I love coming home. But it’s getting harder and harder to dance around this. It’s like I told Justin, it’s like the elephant in the parlor that everyone sees but refuses to talk about.”

“Justin…your…boyfriend?” Diane spat the word out distastefully.

“He’s…” Lance refused to lie anymore. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Someone you sleep with, then?”

It was on the tip of Lance’s tongue to say, “No, I just let him suck my dick,” but even in his angry state, he couldn’t disrespect his mother in this way. Instead, he said, “No, Mama. I’ve never slept with anyone.”

“What have we done wrong?” Diane said, tears filling her eyes.

“Nothing, Mama! Look at everything else in my life. You said you were proud of me. All of that is because of how YOU raised me. This one thing…you have absolutely no control of it. If I would be straight, and decide to fall in love with someone covered in tattoos and body piercings, you’d be just as unhappy right now. But you have nothing to do with it. It’s MY decision.”

“I can’t respect your decision, James, and either can your father,” Diane said sadly. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Yes, it does. I hate that one day, if I ever find someone, you won’t be able to accept him. But I have to be who I am.”

“Is that what they taught you in that fraternity of yours?”

“Yes. They taught me to be who I am, and they embraced who I am, no matter what. Being gay got me a place in the house, yes, but they love me for being Lance, and nothing else,” Lance said. “They’ve saved me in so many ways.”

“You can’t live your life in that fraternity house, James. The real world will not be as lenient. They won’t just let you…let you…”

“Look at me, Mama.” Lance went to stand in front of his mother. “I know how you view homosexual men. Do I look like your stereotype? I’m not flaming or wearing a dress or anything. I’m probably the most boring gay man I know. I can get through life just fine. In some situations I’ll have to hide my sexual orientation. I know that. But I refuse to lie if I’m asked.” Lance looked her in the eye. “And if you can’t accept that, I’ll have to leave right now.”

“Lance, we just…we need some time,” Diane stammered, unaccustomed to a Lance who would defy her.

“Then you can have it.” Lance went back into the room and pulled his suitcase from the closet.

“Where are you going?” Jim Bass stood behind his wife. “Running back to school again?”

“No, Daddy. I can’t get into the frat house right now, anyway. I’m going to a friend’s. I DO have friends, friends who care about me and accept me.” He looked at his parents. “And this time I’m not running away. I’m giving Mama the space she says she needs.”

 

Lance was two hundred miles out of Laurel when he realized that he had no clue where he was going. He pulled over at a tiny diner and pulled out his calling card. He went into the diner, ordered scrambled eggs and toast, and went to the pay phone.

He stood for a long moment, running his card along the rows of numbers before finally dialing. “Hello?”

“Justin?”

“Lance?”

“I’m…well…I’m on the road again,” Lance said with a laugh.

“What is it with you and holidays?” Justin said, laughing as well.

“Look…” Lance paused. He had barely spoken to Justin during exam week, and then they had gone home before resolving anything. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I feel like I pushed you into something,” Justin interrupted quickly. “I’M sorry.” Justin stopped, then said, “Merry Christmas.”

“Oh, yeah, you, too,” Lance said.

“Where ARE you?”

“About two and a half hours from home,” Lance answered.

“Come here,” Justin said immediately.

“Are you serious?”

“Sure. You’re on your way, anyway. My mom will love to have you, and you can hang here for our New Year’s Eve party.”

“I’ll have to go home sometime,” Lance said. “For my stuff.”

“I’m not saying move in, Lance. I’m saying visit. Until everything cools down at home.”

“Okay,” Lance said, hardly able to believe what was happening.


	28. Chapter 28

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Eight

 

Lance felt very self-conscious as he rang the doorbell of Justin’s house. A pretty woman opened the door. She immediately hugged him. “You must be Lance. I’m Lynn, Justin’s mom. I’m so glad you could come.”

“I’m so sorry it’s so late,” Lance said. “I didn’t expect Justin to invite me and…”

“You shush. It’s Christmas. Like anyone really wants to go to sleep and end this magical day,” Lynn said. “Put your suitcase in the corner. Are you hungry?” Lynn asked over her shoulder as she walked down the hall.

“Well…I…” Actually, Lance was starving. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“You’re not. Stop talking like that,” she scolded. Her slippers slapped on the linoleum as she went to the refrigerator. “I have ham or chicken. Would you like a sandwich?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lance said, finally giving in. “That would be great.”

“Sit down,” Lynn ordered. Lance sat. She made him a huge Dagwood sandwich of ham AND chicken, adding potato chips to the plate. She plunked down a glass of milk, then sat down across from him.

“Thank you,” Lance said, tearing into the sandwich.

“So…you’re Lance,” Lynn said. “Justin talks about you ALL the time.”

Lance blushed around his food. “Really?” He mumbled.

“Yes. To hear him talk, you’re perfect. Smart, ambitious, hard-working, attractive…”

Lance’s pink cheeks turned red. “Attractive?”

“Well, he didn’t SAY that, but as much as he talked about you, I know he thought you were something special.” Lynn’s eyes twinkled.

“Thank you,” Lance said, not knowing what else to say.

He finished his sandwich as Lynn chatted about this and that. A yawn cracked his head in two. “You shouldn’t go right to bed after eating like that, but you look like you’re about to fall asleep into your milk,” Lynn declared. “Let’s get you up to bed.”

Lance grabbed his suitcase and followed Lynn up the steps. “Justin sleeps right next door,” she told him, opening the door to a guest room. Lance tried not to wonder if Justin slept naked. “You sleep in tomorrow, okay? Problems always look better in the morning.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am,” Lance said tiredly.

“You’re a good boy.” Lynn kissed Lance’s cheek, then closed the door.

 

Lance opened one eye and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was almost noon. He groaned and stretched, realizing that he hadn’t even bothered to change out of his clothes. He felt grimy and weary and just plain worn out. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. A pile on the floor caught his eye.

Lance picked up the note and read it aloud. “The bathroom’s down the hall. Here are towels. I’ll be downstairs. Justin.”

Lance felt a bit better after his shower. He put on a clean pair of jeans and a sweater and slowly went downstairs. Justin was in the family room, right off the hallway. He was reading a magazine and humming along with the radio. “Nice tree,” Lance said softly, staring at the beautiful evergreen in the corner.

“I thought so, too, until I had to help Paul carry it in here,” Justin said, grinning. He stood. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Lance allowed Justin to hug him, blissfully losing himself in the scent of Justin’s cologne for a brief second.

“Are you hungry?” Justin asked. “We could go for pizza.”

Lance laughed as he pulled back. “You and your mom…both trying to fatten me up.”

“You’re perfect just the way you are,” Justin said, and actually blushed.

 

“So, your mom said, uh, you talk about me?” Lance asked as they carried their pizza to a table in the crowded Pizza Hut.

“Sure. I talk about you and Joe and JC and…” Justin began, and watched Lance’s face fall slightly. “I do. I talk about you a lot. I just…I admire you, Lance. You’ve been through a lot, with your family and all, yet you’re still strong.”

“I’m not strong,” Lance mumbled.

“What, just because some asshole used you and made you afraid of sex?” Justin said in a low voice. “That means shit.”

“I’m not AFRAID of it,” Lance said angrily. “I’m not sure what I am, but I’m NOT afraid.”

“Okay okay, you’re not afraid,” Justin said, holding his hands up in surrender.

“I bury myself in my work and the frat. I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“I don’t have one either,” Justin pointed out. “And I bury myself in basketball.”

“You’re different. You’re like this golden person. You and Nick. Everyone flocks around you. Look at what AJ did…gave up everything just to date Nick. Nick’s special. YOU’RE special.” Lance stopped babbling and stared at his pizza.

Justin licked tomato sauce from his fingers. “Stop it, Lance. You’re being a jerk. Why won’t you just let me like you?”

“Because it scares me,” Lance finally admitted. “I like you, too, Justin. I feel things for you that I’ve never really felt before. I’ve treated you like crap, and you still hang around.”

“First and foremost, I’m your friend, Lance. Everything else…” Justin waved a hand in the air. “The fact that I think you’re sex on two legs is just an added bonus.”

“Justin!” Lance gasped. Justin laughed out loud.

 

Lance spent a week at Justin’s house, just hanging out and spending time NOT thinking about his family. Everything he and Justin did was platonic, but Justin’s comment about him being “sex on two legs” was never out of his mind. On the night before Lance was planning on returning home, Justin sat in the guest room, watching Lance pack. “You’ll be okay at home?” Justin asked. “I mean, Mom loves you. You can stay as long as you want.”

“Nah…I have some things I need to do. I gotta start being this strong brave person you think I am,” Lance said, smiling. “Do you think it’s okay if I use the phone for a long distance call? I have my calling card with me.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just make your call,” Justin said, standing up. “I’ll let you get done here. Thanks for coming, Lance. It’s been fun. And I’m sorry if I freaked you out. I’m just as happy being friends with you if you don’t want more.”

“It’s not that, Justin,” Lance insisted. “It’s…more than that.”

“Whatever,” Justin said with a smile. Lance stepped in front of him and hugged him.

“Thank you for everything,” Lance said, holding him tight.


	29. Chapter 29

BROTHERLY LOVE  
Twenty-Nine

 

“What if we offered to set you up in your own place?” A voice said from the doorway of Lance’s bedroom. Lance jumped.

“God, Mama,” Lance gasped, putting a hand over his heart. “Scare me to death.”

“Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain, James,” Diane said wearily. She sat on Lance’s desk chair.

“Sorry,” Lance mumbled, zipping his suitcase shut. “Just gotta pack those two duffels and I’m done.”

“You’re always so organized,” Diane replied.

“So, what was this about an apartment?” Lance asked.

“Your father and I were talking, and we thought we’d offer to rent an apartment for you.”

“And what will it cost me?” Lance said, slowly sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Just…it won’t “cost” you anything, James. You’d have to move out of that fraternity, of course,” Diane said casually.

“And it would help if I got a girlfriend, right?” Lance said almost sarcastically.

“Well, I’m sure you would meet some lovely girls in an apartment building. And I’m also sure it would improve your study habits.”

“I get perfect marks now, Mama,” Lance said, shaking his head. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”

“We can take it all away, James,” Diane said almost angrily. She stood up. “We can stop sending the checks that keep you IN that school.”

“So I take a semester off. I get a job. I tutor. I get back into school within a year,” Lance said just as angrily. “Mama, I’m GAY. Get over it.” Lance slung his duffel over his shoulder. “I was gonna stay tonight and leave after supper. I can’t do it, though. Until you accept me, I can’t be here.” Lance kissed his mother’s cheek. “I still love you, Mama. You’ve made me realize a lot of things over this vacation. But I am what I am.”

 

“It’s raining men, hallelujah, it’s raining men…amen…” Justin sang softly as he jogged up the steps. “Hey, Mike,” he said to someone passing by. “Hey, Lansten, I…” Justin stopped short in the doorway of what was usually Lance’s room. One of the other fraternity brothers looked up at him.

“Hey, Justin.”

“Uh, Craig. Um, where’s Lance?”

“Dunno. I got here and was told that I could have this single.”

“Shit.” Justin slapped the wall and went back out into the hallway.

He questioned everyone he knew and everyone gave him the same answer. No one knew where Lance was or why he obviously wasn’t staying in the fraternity house. “Hey, man!” Nick said happily, giving Justin a hug. “Wanna go shoot some hoops?”

“NO.” Justin shoved Nick away. “I need to find Lance.”

“Um, okay,” Nick said, staring at him.

“Sorry, man. I’ll shoot with you later, okay?” Justin said over his shoulder.

On his way to JC’s apartment, Justin could only think of one thing. Things must have gone incredibly bad at home for Lance. He hadn’t even come back to school. Justin knew that Lance would have called JC, if no one else.

Justin approached JC’s apartment, his nose wrinkling. Obviously JC had tried to cook again. The door to JC’s apartment was open a few inches, probably to let out the stench of the burned food. Justin froze as he heard Lance’s voice.

“Back in high school I still thought I was kinda straight,” Lance said softly. “Ultra-denial, you know? But there was this guy on the basketball team, Jeremy. He was so fine. I tutored him…and he asked for some payment in return. He liked blowjobs from pretty boys with brains.”

“Lance,” JC gasped. Justin leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

“And stupid me, I kept giving him what he wanted, ya know? I coulda stopped, but I loved him, and it made me feel special.”

“And that’s why you hated Justin,” Chris said.

“Yeah. But I talked to him about it and he’s forgiven me, I think.” Justin smiled as he listened. “But now I’m ready to turn over a new leaf. To start a new life. My mom actually made me think about some things, and she was right.”

“You know you’re welcome here as long as you want, right?” JC asked.

“Yeah, Jayce, thanks. I can’t live in the frat anymore. I need to start being a new me…and I’ve found just the person to start being that me with.”

 

“Dude, let’s shoot,” Justin said, barging into Nick’s room.

“You just told me an hour ago you weren’t interested!” Nick protested, pointing to his bunk. It was covered with clothing and CDs. “I’m in the middle of…”

“I don’t care. Let’s shoot.” Justin grabbed the basketball from its hallowed place on the closet shelf.

Nick waited until they had been making free throws for about twenty minutes before he asked, “What’s going on?”

“I like someone.”

“Lance,” Nick said immediately. Justin stared at him. “What? You do. You want him bad.”

“I don’t just want him. I like him. Hell, I may even love him,” Justin said, laughing at himself. “But now that’s all for shit. He’s straight.”

Nick tripped over his own feet. “He’s WHAT?”

“Straight. He’s going back to girls.” Justin angrily threw the basketball at the wall of the gym.

“How do you know this?”

“I heard him. He’s moved out of the frat and in with JC until he can start this new life of his. He talked to his mom, he found some little whore, and he’s STRAIGHT!”

“But I thought YOU were his little whore!” Nick protested. “I…I mean, I thought he wanted YOU.”

“Apparently I was just his little toy,” Justin said. “Getting back at some jock from his past. Now he can move on to his little house with his little wife and his little dog and his damn little white picket fence!”

“Uh, I think you’re overreacting,” Nick said.

“I am not. WHY did I even like him? We’re different as night and day. He always said so. And now…” Justin tossed the ball up and caught it. “Now he’s gone. Maybe I can start a new life, too. Maybe I’ll just start fucking anything that will let me. I’ll just go out there and fuck him right out of my mind.”

“Who?” A voice said. Justin missed the ball and it bounced onto his head.

He turned around. “Hello, Lance,” Justin said coolly.

Lance looked at him sadly. “Hi.”

Nick had disappeared, and Justin wondered how long Lance had been standing there. “So…what’s up?” Justin said, hooking a finger in the waistband of his sweatpants.

“You’re, uh, planning a change?” Lance said, trying to smile. His heart was breaking.

“Yeah. You’d know all about life-changing decisions, wouldn’t you? MY decision is to become a slut. I’ll play ball, go to class, and get laid whenever possible.”

“Oh.” Lance studied his shoes. “Why are you doing that?”

“Why not?” Justin asked arrogantly, and Lance wondered what had happened to the boy he had talked to in Tennessee.

“What did you mean about me making life-changing decisions?” Lance asked.

“I heard you. You’re moving in with JC because you have a girlfriend and you’re not gay anymore.”

“I’m what?” Lance gasped. “Justin…”

“That’s fine. I mean, you scored one for the underdog, didn’t you? Got in on with a jock and then let him drop,” Justin said angrily.

Lance shook his head. “Justin, listen.”

“I’m not listening. I’m DONE listening. To think I wanted you. To think I thought I was falling in LOVE with you!” Justin threw the ball up again and Lance reached over and caught it.

“You need to clear those basketball nets out of your brain,” Lance said angrily. “I’m moving in with JC because I’ve moved out of the frat. And I’ve moved out of the frat because I’m in love with you and I want to be with you.”

Justin stared at him. “But you said…your mom…”

“She told me that I can’t live in that frat forever. And she’s right.”

“You called someone from my house…I thought it was your girlfriend.”

“NO, I called JC. I wanted to see if I could stay with him before I got back to school. I wanted to surprise you,” Lance said quietly.

“You did,” Justin said, rubbing at his curls. “You…you left the frat? For me?”

“Yeah,” Lance said. He took a few steps closer to Justin. “I want to be with you, Justin. I want us to try.”

Suddenly he was grabbed in a pair of strong arms, and Justin was kissing him. “I love you,” Justin said breathlessly. Lance smiled.

“I love you, too.”

THE END


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